


Featherweight

by DoctorSiren



Category: Doom (Video Games), Hermitcraft RPF, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Wings, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Birds, Dreams and stuff, Gen, Past Relationship(s), Really wholesome father moments, Robots, Wait why are Xisuma and Alex the main characters now, a lot of angst and a lot of fluff all at the same time, ahah when did Mumbo become the main character, all the characters need sleep, it stops being a purely Grian centered fic after a bit, oooo exposition, xisuma is best dadmin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:48:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 50
Words: 162,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25004149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorSiren/pseuds/DoctorSiren
Summary: Would you hide a part of yourself? You might do it if that part scared you. After a while, you might get good at hiding your secrets and past. Grian had experience with that sort of thing, and now he must do it once again — but it’s so much harder this time.
Comments: 3585
Kudos: 3066





	1. One

_ He felt a pain searing into his body. Had he fallen? Had he gotten hurt and forgotten, and now the bruises were causing this? He didn’t think so. Whatever it was, it made it very hard to sleep.  _

He woke up and it was dark. He turned to his alarm clock, which read 3:27 AM.   
  
_ Alright. No need to get up now. I’ll just go back to sleep.   
  
_ The man turned over to go back to sleep, and was instantly reminded of what woke him up in the first place. His back. Why did it hurt so much? He groaned and sat up, pulling off his shirt as he did. He stretched a bit and set his head in his hands, breathing in deep. He tried to force his eyes to stay open, but they refused. 

_ Whatever  _ , he thought.   
  
He reached his hand behind his back, trying to feel for the sore spots. But rather than feel bruised skin, the man felt something else. It felt like feathers. Confused and tired, he jumped out of his bed and stumbled into his bathroom. A flick of the lightswitch revealed what he had felt.   


Protruding from his shoulder blades were a pair of tiny, purple-y, feathered wings. He gasped, almost choking on his own spit. Panic started to set in. How did this happen? Why was this happening? His head dropped as he started to drift back off to sleep. He would have to deal with this in the morning.   
  
He stepped back over to his bed, falling onto it. Without even bothering to put his shirt back on, he slowly pulled himself up to his pillow, and covered himself with the red comforter. He was asleep almost instantly.

The next morning came quickly.   
  
The sound of the alarm clock jarred Grian awake.   
  
“Oi, I really need to turn that to a tune that doesn’t make me want to punch the clock.” He muttered to himself.   
  
He sat up and was momentarily confused as to why he wasn’t wearing a shirt. The events of the previous night came to his mind when he spotted a purple feather next to him.  
  
_ Crap.   
  
_ Grian slid his legs over the side of his bed and stood up. He walked through the open bathroom door over to the mirror. Now that he was more awake, he could get a better look at his new...details. He hopped up onto the counter and sat down at an angle that made it somewhat easy to see his wings.   
  
They were quite small, each about the size of his hand. He could move them, and they fluttered quite fast. The feathers were purple and shiny, almost iridescent.   
  
If they were on anything else, person or animal, Grian would have thought them to be quite lovely.   
  
But no. They were on him.   
  
He hated them.   
  
He was still examining his wings when the doorbell rang. Grian felt his stomach drop, anxiety filling his heart. He couldn’t let  _ anyone  _ see the wings. No exceptions. 

Thankfully, they were tiny and could easily be hidden underneath his classic red sweater. Grian hopped off the counter and ran into his room. He flung open his closet and grabbed one of the many red jumpers that were folded in there. Quickly, he grabbed a shirt as well, pulling that on before putting on the sweater. He ran down the stairs of his house to his front door. Hopefully whoever was at the door hadn’t been waiting too long.   
  
Grian turned the knob and pulled open the door. Standing on the other side was a tall, handsome, mustachioed man who was dressed comparatively fancy. He had a smile in his eyes and on his face. 

“Good morning Grian! I hope I didn’t wake you up.” The man spoke, giving Grian a look-over. 

“No, no you’re alright Mumbo.” Grian said with a yawn.

Mumbo chuckled. “You need more time to get ready?” He motioned slightly to the extreme case of bed-head that his friend was sporting.

“Uh, it’s fine.” The older of the two replied as he quickly did his best to fix his hair with his hands.

“Let’s go then.” Mumbo smiled and started to walk forwards. Grian shut the front door behind himself and quickened his pace to catch up with his long-legged buddy.  


* * *

Grian was uncomfortable all day. It was hard to have fun with the other hermits when he could feel his little wings trying to be free. There were points where he was able to ignore his situation and actually enjoy the day, but those moments didn’t last for long. 

Between all of the building Grian and Mumbo had done today and the constant little stabs of pain, Grian was exhausted. But, he stuck it out.

* * *

Mumbo and Grian made their way up to the doorstep of G’s home, discussing the work they had gotten done today. 

“I think you’ll have a real good shot at becoming Mayor” Grian said with surety. 

“You really think so? I mean...we don’t really have much of a plan other than the poster and the mayor bot.” Mumbo looked down at Grian, who was a good amount shorter than him. The two had arrived at the door and had stopped walking. 

Grian hesitated. Then, with a quick glance up at Mumbo — who quickly glanced away in return — he laughed, saying, “Trust me. It’ll all turn out perfectly.” 

Mumbo rolled his eyes and laughed as well. “I think you’ve lost your ‘Trust Me’ privileges.” 

“Whatever!” Grian smiled, felt a sharp jab of pain and winced, as Mumbo started to slowly walk away from the doorstep.

“Alright! See you tomorrow!” The redstone-sprinkled man waved as he headed down the mansion steps. 

Grian waved back, turned around, and entered his house. 


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you hide a part of yourself, do other people notice?

_ It’s quite lovely out here today _ , Mumbo thought, adjusting his red tie. 

Grian had planned a meeting to discuss...some plans that had been made behind Mumbo’s back. But, that was pretty typical for his best friend. Most of the plans didn’t end in total disaster, so Mumbo was hoping this would be one of the safe ones too.

The tall Englishman arrived in front of a giant mansion, specifically in front of the mansion’s large stairway. With a slight chuckle, Mumbo hopped up the stairs with ease. He ran one hand through his hair as he rang the doorbell with the other. 

_ DING DONG _

Mumbo stood there waiting like a kid on Halloween who chose a house that didn’t answer their door. He looked around, rocked back and forth on his feet, and checked his watch a few times. 

“Where could he be?” He mumbled to himself. “He probably overslept again.” Mumbo answered his own question. 

He was about to raise his hand to knock on the mansion doors when they suddenly opened. Standing on the other side was a short, tired-looking, fringe-haired man who was dressed comparatively casual. He had worry in his eyes, but a smile on his face. 

Something seemed off, but Mumbo went ahead with a normal greeting. “Good morning Grian! I hope I didn’t wake you up.” He glanced over his friend, who shifted uncomfortably every several moments.

“No, no you’re alright Mumbo.” Grian yawned, making it obvious that he had just woken up.

Mumbo chuckled. He figured this would be the case. “You need more time to get ready?” He motioned slightly to the extreme case of bed-head that his friend was sporting.

“Uh, it’s fine.” Grian lazily pulled his hands through his hair in an attempt to comb it. 

Something still didn’t seem right, but Mumbo couldn’t put a finger on what it was. He shrugged it off.

“Let’s go then.” Mumbo smiled and began to walk forwards. He heard the sound of the front door closing, followed by Grian running to catch up with him.

* * *

Mumbo sensed that something was bothering Grian. The red-jumpered builder seemed restless in his seat during their meeting, arching his back and stretching. Multiple times, Mumbo wanted to bring it up, but decided against it at the last moment. 

He would keep an eye out though. Grian wasn’t the type to ask for help or vent to him, unless prompted. Even with a prompting, it would take a bit of work to get him to talk. If Grian’s actions kept up like this,  _ then _ Mumbo would bring it up. 

* * *

Mumbo and Grian made their way up to the doorstep of G’s home, discussing the work they had gotten done today. 

“I think you’ll have a real good shot at becoming Mayor” Grian spoke up with unrealistic confidence in his voice. 

Mumbo felt the exact opposite way. “You really think so? I mean...we don’t really have much of a plan other than the poster and the mayor bot.” Mumbo looked down at his friend, who seemed a bit spaced out. The two had reached the door and had stopped walking to say goodbye.

Grian hesitated for a moment. Mumbo took this opportunity to check if he could see any visible sources of pain on G’s back. The shorter man gave a quick glance up to Mumbo, who quickly looked away from his back. 

With a laugh, G declared, “Trust me. It’ll all turn out perfectly.” 

Mumbo rolled his eyes. He’d heard that before, but he laughed as well. “I think you’ve lost your ‘Trust Me’ privileges.” Mumbo started to head out.

“Whatever!” Grian called out to him with a smile, and what looked like a wince.

“Alright! See you tomorrow!” Mumbo waved to his best friend and paused to watch him get inside.

Grian gave him a wave back and turned around. Nothing  _ looked _ out of place. Maybe he got a sunburn or a bruise. Mr. Jumbo clapped the extra redstone dust off of his hands as he continued down the steps, making his way to his own base

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah man, lazy chapter writing already haha  
> I’m p terrible at pacing, just a heads-up...  
> BTW I have art of this AU on my Instragram (@DoctorSirenArt) and I’ll probably be making more art of it soon!


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are reasons why people hide parts of themselves. Whether it be bad memories or bad self-esteem, those hidden bits are usually the most sensitive topics to talk about for that person.

Grian was in pain. Well, he was more  _ sore _ than pained. It was similar to the type of soreness one gets the day after working out. It was pretty annoying, but he was sure it would go away. 

He dragged his feet up the stairs and into his bedroom. He kicked off his shoes and sat on the edge of his bed for a moment before carefully removing his sweater and shirt. Almost instantly, he felt better. The wings, as tiny as they were, had major cramps. He stretched them out and let out a relieved sigh. 

Grian stood up and once again walked into his bathroom to look at his wings. He realized he had left the light on the night before, but that didn’t concern him at the moment. As he stepped over to the sink and mirror, he had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn’t going crazy. The wings looked bigger. Not significantly, but just enough that it was noticeable. He hopped up on the counter and set his feet in the sink. 

Grian just sat there and stared at his little fluttering feathers for what must have been a full five minutes. Finally, he shook his head and looked away, examining his skin instead. His arms and torso were covered with scars in all shapes and sizes. He focused on a particularly nasty one on his right shoulder. He didn’t like some of the memories associated with his marks. 

Grian moved his left hand onto the scarred shoulder, shaking his head, as if doing so could clear his mind like an Etch-A-Sketch. 

_ There’s a reason why I wear a sweater all the time _ , he thought to himself as he slid himself off the counter. 

The feathers ever so often would graze his back. It felt so strange, so foreign. He couldn’t rationalize them as a part of his body. 

“They’ll be gone one day.” He said out loud to nobody. 

Sometimes the mansion felt so empty. But Grian never felt lonelier than when he looked at the lilac feathers. They were almost the same colour as an elytra, and had the same shimmer and soft-hued glow as an enchanted one. The man looked away from the mirror and left the bathroom, switching off the light on the way out. 

His room was cold, but he didn’t want to put on a shirt and cause the soreness to return. Grian guessed he’d just sleep cold. It was pretty late, and he was pretty tired, so he changed into a pair of sleep shorts and climbed into his bed. 

He laid down on his stomach, resting his head on his folded arms on his pillow. He stretched his wings again. At least  _ that _ felt good. 

Grian felt his eyelids get heavier and heavier until he finally slipped into the sweet bliss of dreaming.

* * *

_ He didn’t know where he was.  _

_ Everything was dark, and he felt so cold.  _

_ Sitting on the hard floor, he felt so alone. So empty.  _

_ He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and his feet were bare. He had on a pair of trousers, thankfully. He went to stand up when a foreign weight made itself known on his back. He reached his hand over his shoulder to feel something big, soft, and feathery.  _

_ In a moment of realization, he felt a pit in his stomach. He opened up the wings, and they gave off a very soft and subtle glow. It was a blue-ish purple glow, and made him feel even more cold. _

_ The wings were huge. He could move them with the same ease as moving his arms or legs.  _

_ They were a part of him.  _

_ His heart-rate quickened as he thought this notion.  _

_ The wings were a part of his body, and there was nothing he could do.  _

_ He quickly folded them against his back.  _

_ They scared him.  _

_ They weighed him down.  _

_ They...hurt… _

_ Why did they hurt so much? They weren’t confined underneath any clothing. The only thing that was suffocating was the thick darkness around him.  _

_ He opened up his wings again, and used the soft aura to help him see. It did little help, but at least he now knew that it seemed to be void surrounding him.  _

_ The blue-violet glow allowed him to at least see himself.  _

_ He looked down at his hands and gasped.  _

_ Instead of hands, he had sharp, bird-like talons.  _

_ His arms were covered in feathers.  _

_ He brought his taloned-hand up to his face, and felt a beak where his mouth should be. _

_ No, not a bird- _

_ Anything but a bird- _

_ He hated birds. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe dream time babeeeyy


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Self-love can be a hard thing to have sometimes.

Grian shot awake. His face and pillow were wet. Had he been crying? He took a deep, shaky breath and sat up, relieved that his hands were normal. He wiped his eyes, relieved that there wasn’t a beak. It had just been a nightmare. The clock read 4:55 AM, its green numbers glowing in the darkness of the room.

His breathing was erratic, and it was making him dizzy. 

_ Calm down _ , he thought to himself

“It’s alright… C-calm down Grian” he said to himself

After sitting there for a minute or two, his breathing slowed and his heart rate came back to normal. 

_ Why did it have to be about birds _ , he thought

Every time he thought about birds, the scar on his right arm hurt. Every time he thought about birds, this feeling of dread came over him.

He tried to shake that feeling, but it liked to stay. Especially now, since he himself might become one of those pesky creatures.

In that moment, he remembered his wings, and panic shot through his heart like a bullet. Were they bigger? 

Grian jumped up and out of bed, getting his legs tangled in the comforter and sheets. He crashed onto the floor. 

At least it was carpeted. 

“Agh, that hurt-“ He said, getting his legs out of the mess of blankets and sitting up. He rubbed his face where it had smashed into the ground. 

A bit disoriented from his tumble, Grian stood up once more and walked to the bathroom in front of him. He flicked the light on and stepped onto the cold tile. It took his eyes a moment to adjust as he stepped towards the mirror. 

“You can’t be serious-” Grian groaned and rubbed his eye. Yup. They were bigger. 

In fact, they had almost doubled in size from when they first appeared the previous night.

This was not a good sign. 

They weren’t going away. Well...what did he expect? 

Grian stood in front of the sink, stretching out the wings and moving them. He doubted that they were strong enough to get him off of the ground yet, so he didn’t try. 

Outside his windows, he heard birds chirping and light slowly rising. 

It was strange, his relationship with birds. 

Chirping birds were fine. That didn’t bother him. Birds flying around were fine. That didn’t bother him either. Heck, his friends’ pet birds were fine! They were sweet and that did not bother him in the slightest! He could even hold them and feed them!

He was more afraid of wild birds who got too close. Especially big ones. 

He masked his fear of birds with a hate of birds [wild birds, at least].

Grian sighed and rubbed his scarred shoulder. 

It was funny. He didn’t hate his scars. Yes, he hid them from the others, but that was mostly because he didn’t want to have to talk about them. He didn’t find them ugly at all. He even saw them as cool. 

He hated the wings though. Even though they were shimmery and pretty, he thought they were ugly and horrible.

With a chuckle, he thought about how this situation would be different if it were someone else with the wings instead of him. 

If Mumbo had the wings, Grian would love them. They would look perfect if they were on him. They fit his style and his charm.

Grian didn’t really have any of that.

What he did have, however, was terrible self-esteem.

And now that he was seemingly becoming a bird, that just added one more reason to hate himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I’m so happy about the response I’ve gotten on the first three chapters! It makes me so happy that you guys are enjoying this! Normally when I make up stories, I never write them down. My brain goes too fast to focus on describing things in writing. But, I really wanted to share this story with y’all, and that was a good decision! Your guys’ comments make me SO HAPPY and I love the positivity, both on here and on Instagram.   
> You guys are the greatest, and I love you all so much!


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keeping secrets can lead to misunderstandings.

Mumbo skipped on over to Grian’s base, ready to finish the mayor bot they had started the day before. 

_I hope that he’s feeling better_ , he thought to himself as he made his way up the stairs of the mansion.

In each hand, he was holding a cookie in a napkin. He had made a batch earlier that morning and he thought Grian would appreciate one.

He reached the doors, but his hands were full and he was unable to ring the doorbell. Instead, he stepped back, raised up his leg, and pressed the doorbell with his shoe. 

_DING DONG_

The bell echoed through the empty mansion. 

Mumbo didn’t have to wait nearly as long this time. The door opened a minute or two after he rang the bell.

On the other side was Grian, who was looking much more awake than he was yesterday. His hair was actually brushed (somewhat). He also seemed to be wearing one of his bigger sweaters, which Mumbo would be concerned about since it was going to get hot today, but he couldn’t really say anything since he wore the same exact suit everyday, no matter the temperature.

Mumbo smiled. “Good morning!” 

Grian looked up at his friend, who was holding baked goods. “Morning Mumbo” 

“I made you a cookie!” Mumbo held the cookie out for Grian to take. 

Grian hesitated for a moment, shifted uncomfortably, and took the cookie. “Th-thank you.” 

“Oh c’mon, it can’t be that bad.” Mumbo chuckled about Grian’s reaction.

“No, it’s not you. It’s-” Grian hesitated again, and pulled at the back of his sweater. “Er-, uh, nevermind, it’s nothing” 

Mumbo took a bite of his own cookie (which wasn’t bad at all, why did Grian react like that?), and gave G a suspicious look. “Are you sure?”

Grian gave him a nod, but Mumbo kept giving him this look. G looked away, but Mumbo didn’t.

After a few very uncomfortable moments, Mumbo finally spoke. “...Alright.” He relaxed his posture and stopped giving Grian the look. 

“Great, okay, let’s get goin! We’ve got, uh, a lotta work to do if we want you to become mayor!” Grian put the cookie away (he didn’t even try it) and started to walk away from the mansion. 

Mumbo turned and put a hand on Grian’s shoulder, causing the shorter hermit to freeze in his tracks. “Hey.” 

Grian slowly turned around to face his taller companion. 

“If you ever need to talk about stuff, or if something’s bothering you, even if it’s like...an annoying bird or whatever, I’m always here.” Mumbo gave his buddy a reassuring smile. “And I’ll take care of that annoying bird or whatever that’s bothering you” 

Grian forced a chuckle, but he felt very uncomfortable from the wording of what Mumbo said. “Thanks dude” 

Mumbo released his grip (he didn’t realize how tightly he had been holding G’s shoulder) and smiled.

“Alright! Now that that’s out of the way!” Mumbo started walking down the steps, and Grian followed right next to him.

Well, scratch that. Grian followed ever so slightly behind him. 

* * *

The rest of the day was a lot like the day before. 

Mumbo and Grian worked on this robot that they dubbed “Grumbot”. He was being built in hopes that he could help Mumbo become mayor of the shopping district.

In fact, the robot was just about finished!

Mumbo was inside, finishing up the redstone. 

Grian stood in front of the build, feeling rather proud, and rather sore.

He kept arching his back and shifting in his spot, which Mumbo noticed from inside of the bot. 

Grian was unaware that Mumbo could see him through Grumbot’s eyes. Thinking that he was out of Mumbo’s sight, he took the opportunity to quickly take off his sweater and shirt and stretch his wings.

Mumbo had been watching Grian for the past moment or two, and was glad that he had been watching at that moment. 

On Grian’s back were a pair of medium-sized, shimmery purple wings. They were quite lovely, but he also noticed that his friend was covered in long scars. Mumbo stepped back in surprise and accidentally dropped his wrench. It made a loud clang on the inside of Grumbot’s head, causing Grian to quickly throw back on his shirt and sweater in a panic. 

Mumbo picked up the wrench and looked around Grumbot for a moment before deciding that it was complete. 

The redstone-dusted man stepped out of the robot’s head and closed up the hole. He hopped on down from Grumbot’s shoulder and landed a few feet away from Grian.

Mumbo had taken off his suit jacket and tie, and he had his sleeves rolled up. His dress shirt was stained with the sparkly red dust, and it was even in his hair. 

He tried his best to not give Grian a suspicious look. If Grian wanted to share his secret, he would do so. But he hadn’t yet, so Mumbo stayed silent for now about it.

Grian couldn’t help but feel like Mumbo knew. There was this look in his eyes that sent chills down G’s spine. His heart was beating fast and he was breathing erratically. The sweater suddenly felt so hot and it became even more uncomfortable as his wings kept trying to push against it.

_Mumbo knows, oh my gosh he definitely knows. He knows and I’m gonna have to talk about it and oh my gosh-_

Grian’s thoughts were stopped as Mumbo stepped forwards and ran a dusty hand though his dusty hair. 

“I finished Grumbot!” Mumbo smiled, and his eyes sparkled in the setting sun like redstone dust. 

Grian let out a sigh of relief. It didn’t seem like he saw! That’s good.

“Great!” Grian smiled in return. “Should we test him out?”

Mumbo nodded and walked on over to Grumbot’s command centre.

The tall Englishman pulled out a diamond and a piece of paper. 

On the paper he wrote, “Hello Grumbot! Welcome to the world!”

He inserted the paper into a slot and dropped the payment into the diamond deposit. Mumbo pressed four buttons, one after the other. He stepped back to see if his wiring was working.

After a moment, a tone played from inside Grumbot, and the robot’s expression changed.

It looked like he was smiling.

A paper printed out of a slot in his command centre, which Grian stepped over to get.

Now that Mumbo could see the back of his friend, and now that he knew what he was hiding, it was obvious that the wings were the source of Grian’s discomfort and pain.

Grian took the paper and read it out loud to his partner.

“Uh, Grumbot says, ‘HELLO! THANK YOU FOR BRINGING ME INTO THE WORLD. I AM AT YOUR ETERNAL SERVICE, AS LONG AS THAT SERVICE WILL HELP MUMBO BECOME MAYOR.’” 

Mumbo looked pleased at his work. “Well, look at that! I think we did a great job!”

Grian smiled and looked up at Grumbot, who’s expression had returned to normal. “Yeah...me too…” He said, his mind not in the moment. 

The next thing he knew, Mumbo was standing in front of him, slightly crouching, with his arms open. “Grian-”

Grian shook his head and looked over at Mumbo, who’s face was now closer to his eye level. “Oh- sorry, what?”

Mumbo cocked his head to the side like an intrigued pup. “I’ve been saying your name for the past minute, you totally zoned out.” 

“Oh! Sorry! I was thinking about Grumbot’s possibilities!” Grian lied with a chuckle. “What was it you wanted?”

“I wanted to give you a hug since we completed the project!” Mumbo said, ready to embrace his best friend (and hopefully get redstone all over him, since he hated that).

Grian’s panic returned, but he agreed to the hug. If he hadn’t, Mumbo would have been suspicious.

Grian threw his arms around his tall friend, who put his long arms around G in response. Through the sweater, Mumbo could feel the wings, but he was very careful not to put any pressure on them. He didn’t want to cause his buddy anymore pain.

Mumbo let go of the hug, but Grian held on for a moment longer. 

Finally, the shorter man let go and looked down at his red jumper, which was now covered in sparkles. 

“C’mon man! This is the only reason you hug me, isn’t it?” Grian joked with a laugh.

Mumbo knew that Grian was joking, but he couldn’t help but feel like Grian actually felt this way. If Grian would be okay with it, Mumbo would hug him all the time. He loved giving hugs! But Grian always seemed so closed off to that form of comfort. He didn’t seem against anything else. Only hugs.

Of course, Grian was fine with hugs when he allowed them. 

But it seemed like he needed them more than he would admit.

“Well-” Mumbo started to say “If you’d let me hug you, I would do so, with or without the redstone!” He said this in a joking way, one that didn’t prompt a serious response. 

Grian laughed in return, and stuck his tongue out. “If I’ve lost my ‘Trust Me’ privileges, then you’ve lost your ‘It’s Okay, I’m Not Gonna Get Redstone All Over You If We Hug’ privileges” 

Mumbo jokingly gave G an offended look, but on the inside… _ouch_. That hurt. 

“I’m gonna get going. I need to fix a few things back at my mansion.” Grian spoke up. The sun had finished setting and the only light here was coming from Grumbot’s illuminated display. 

“Got it! I’m gonna stay here and run a few more tests on Grum.” Mumbo replied, his back to Grian as he examined the command centre. 

“Cool, cool. I’ll see you tomorrow then?” Grian equipped his elytra and pulled some rockets out of his pocket. In doing so, the cookie that Mumbo had given him fell out, but he didn’t notice.

“Mhm!” Mumbo nodded. He heard the sound of rockets shooting his friend off into the sky. He wondered why he would even need an elytra if he had wings.

Mumbo pulled out another diamond and paper. On this one, he wrote “Would I even make a good mayor?”

He inserted it into the slot, which took the paper like how a ticket machine would take your tickets at an arcade, and he dropped the diamond into the deposit. He once again pressed the buttons, and stepped backwards to see his creation’s reaction. 

As he stepped back, he felt something get crushed under his shoe.

He looked down to see the cookie he had given to Grian, crushed to pieces. 

Mumbo squatted down and sadly looked at the now-broken gift.

The answer tone played from Grumbot and the paper came out of the slot. Mumbo sighed and turned around.

He equipped his elytra and shot himself off with his rockets without even reading the response his robot had given. 

_Was it something he had done?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sat down and was in the mood to write, so I wrote for like an hour and I really like how it ended up.   
> There were a few times where I had to pause because it felt like I was the one reading this angsty chapter, and it hurt my heart. Then I remembered that I was the one WRITING this angsty chapter, and I felt better and kept typing away.


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe a hug is all you need. Or at least a hug is what can help you most in that moment.

Grian ran up the stairs of his mansion and into his bedroom. He stumbled onto the bed and curled up into a ball and let out a sad sob. 

He didn’t want to feel this way. 

He wished he could stop feeling this way.

He sat up and wiped his damp eyes with his sweater sleeve. He couldn’t bear the pain anymore, so he pulled off the sweater and shirt.

He opened up his wings, which were again bigger now. He flapped them a few times, and he hated how natural it felt. He didn’t want them to feel natural. He wanted to get rid of them.

Grian decided that he should try and do something to make himself feel better. He thought about that morning, when Mumbo gave him the cookie. 

The reason he was so hesitant was because, well, cookies killed parrots. He was so afraid of becoming a bird. He was afraid that it would kill him as well.

He was just being irrational...right?

Besides, his wings weren’t parrot wings. Heck, were they bird wings at all? Maybe he was just thinking that because of that nightmare he had had.

“Maybe I should eat the cookie. That’ll make me feel better. Mumbo made it for me…” 

He reached into his pocket, but nothing was there. He reached into the other pocket, and the only thing he felt was the napkin. 

His heart dropped into his stomach. He remembered when he was pulling the rockets out of his pocket, and something fell.

Now he knew what it was. 

“Holy-”

Grian stood up quickly (a bit too quickly, he got lightheaded), and rushed out of his room. He had to make sure that the cookie was still there. Maybe Mumbo hadn’t seen it.

If he had…Grian would feel absolutely trash. Mumbo would probably think that Grian hated him. Mumbo would probably hate Grian. Mumbo would-

Grian stopped right as he ran down the stairs of the mansion’s front. He realized he wasn’t wearing a shirt, and his wings were in full view. Sure, it was dark and it was nighttime, but so many of the hermits loved to stay up.

If one of them saw him-

He closed his wings (why were they open?) and tried to go back inside.

He was about to turn around when he heard someone call his name.

“Grian-”

It was Mumbo.

Grian stopped in his tracks like a deer in headlights.

He pressed his wings against his body as tight as he could so Mumbo wouldn’t see.

He stepped back a bit, into the more shadowy part of the mansion’s front.

Mumbo glided down and landed in front of him.

He was wearing his elytra, which reminded Grian of his own wings. 

“Is...is everything alright? Did I do something wrong?” 

Mumbo did not hesitate. He came right out and asked Grian if he failed him in any way.

Grian felt so awkward, standing there in the dark, scared and shirtless.

“Was there a reason you refused to try my baking?” Mumbo sounded hurt. Not physically, but emotionally.

_ Holy crap I’ve made a huge mistake _

Grian stayed silent. He didn’t know what to say and, even if he did, his mouth just would not open.

“Grian...please. Just-...step out of the shadows, I want to talk to you…”

Mumbo gave him a look that made Grian feel so guilty.

His heart and his brain were conflicted. His heart wanted him to step out there and just admit to Mumbo everything. Show him the wings and hug him. Cry into his arms as he comforted him. He wanted that so badly. 

But his brain wanted the opposite. His brain wanted him to run away and not answer his friend. His brain wanted him to get rid of the wings. His brain wanted him to stay silent and not ask for help.

What could he do?

When he didn’t answer, Mumbo spoke up again.

“Do you…do you hate me or something?”

Grian’s heart hurt so bad. Why did Mumbo have to ask these questions?

“Fine. If you won’t step out of the shadows, I’ll step into them.”

Panic filled Grian’s entire body. He backed up a bit until he was up against the side of the massive staircase, his wings pressed against the cold stone. 

Mumbo stepped forwards. He was wearing the same thing he was wearing back at Grumbot, but he looked slightly disheveled. His hair was all tousled and it looked like he had been crying.

_ Oh no. I did that, didn’t I? I made him cry! I- _

“Grian.”

Mumbo was standing in front of him. He could see his friend better, though not exactly. His eyes hadn’t quite adjusted to the darkness, but his buddy’s scars were visible.

“Is everything okay?” Mumbo asked, making eye contact with Grian. 

Grian looked away, wanting to shrink away into nothingness.

“Did I hurt you in any way-” Mumbo’s voice broke. Grian looked back up at him, and it looked like he was about to cry.

“Mumbo-”

The tall man looked almost surprised that Grian had said anything. For some reason, he didn’t look surprised at the fact that Grian was shirtless, or covered in scars.

_ Does he know? _

“Mumbo, I am so sorry, I never meant to hurt you. I-...it’s hard to explain...I just...I don’t know what to say-” Grian’s voice wavered.

“You don’t need to say anything if you don’t want to.” 

Mumbo put a hand on Grian’s scarred right shoulder. Grian realized that the scar had been burning, but now it had stopped once Mumbo touched it. 

“You’re hurt, aren’t you?” 

Grian stiffened up at that question.

“Your back is hurt, or something like that…right?”

Grian pushed himself more against the stone. It hurt a lot.

Defying his own brain, he slowly nodded in reply.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I could help you!” Mumbo gave Grian a pleading look.

“Well...you know me. Too full of pride, heh.” Grian joked with a laugh.

Mumbo did not laugh.

“Please...just...talk to me. I want to help you. You always try your best to help me. I want to do the same for you. You’re my best friend, and I can’t bear seeing you in any form of pain.”

Mumbo’s words broke Grian. He slid down the wall and pulled his knees to his face. He hugged them and let out a cry.

The tall Englishman stepped back in surprise, but quickly got on his knees and threw his arms around his sobbing buddy.

Grian forgot about the wings in that moment. They didn’t matter.

He threw his arms around his friend and hugged him tightly, crying into his shoulder, and getting more redstone all over him.

As Mumbo hugged Grian, he felt the wings. They were soft, and gave off a slight glow. Why was Grian against them?

Grian felt at peace for a single moment, until he felt Mumbo feel the wings. 

Mumbo played dumb for his best friend’s sake. 

“Hold on-” he started to say

Grian’s anxiety shot through the roof.

“Why are you wearing your elytra, but not wearing a shirt?” Mumbo let go and gave his friend a quizzical look.

Grian laughed through his tears, and rubbed his eyes. “I got turned around. I was gonna check on Grumbot, and...the cookie...but I was in such a rush that I equipped my elytra without putting on a shirt.” 

He was so quick to lie. It came so naturally.

Years of practice had paid off.

Mumbo smiled slightly. “Alright.”

Grian spoke up again. “About the cookie...I’m really sorry, I just...didn’t feel well today. I was going to eat it! In fact, I was about to eat it when I got home, but I remembered I had dropped it. I bet you could imagine how absolutely rubbish I felt when I realized that you probably saw it-”

Mumbo cut Grian off with another tight hug. 

“I figured that was the case. And don’t worry about the cookie. I was...overreacting.” 

_ No, you weren’t. You were completely justified in your feelings _ , Grian thought.

“Besides, I can always make more. Would you like me to bring you some tomorrow?” 

Grian looked up at his friend, who gave him the kindest look. He nodded in answer. 

“Alright.” Mumbo smiled, and wiped Grian’s eyes with his hand. Mumbo took G’s hands and stood up, helping the smaller hermit up as well. 

“I best be going back to my base now.” Mumbo said, motioning in the general direction of his home.

“And I best be getting some rest.” Grian repli ed.

Mumbo gave him a nod and turned to leave. 

“Hey. Remember what I told you. You can talk to me about anything. I won’t judge you and I’ll try my best to help with what you’re going through, alright buddy?” Mumbo said, walking backwards so that he was facing Grian.

Grian nodded. “I...I’ll try to remember that.” 

Mumbo smiled. “Good. See you tomorrow morning! Good night!”

“Night.”

Mumbo had left, and Grian was all alone in the shadows. 

Mumbo thought his wings were an elytra, and he didn’t mention the scars. Was it because he knew? Or was it because he was so considerate? Or-

Grian shook his head. He needed sleep. 

He stepped out of the shadows, and bolted into his house so that he wouldn’t be seen. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jvjhdflsafhdfndskjfh ANGSTTTTTT  
> It’s all I know how to write ;u;


	7. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Would you risk it all to save someone you loved?

Grian sat down on his bed, and outstretched one of his wings. How were they growing so fast? He curved the wing towards him and touched the feathers. They were soft. Not at all like the feathers from-

He shook that thought away. He didn’t want to think about that. His scar started to burn again, even just thinking about that event.

Grian stood up and went to the mirror once more. The wings seemed big enough to lift him off the ground… Should he try?

“With my luck, I’d probably fall to my doom” He laughed to himself.

There he went again, doubting himself. Just like his wings, his low self-confidence also felt natural. Unlike his wings, he didn’t really hate it. This was just how he was.

But there was this voice. This tiny, nagging voice in the back of his head, telling him to try. 

_ Maybe I can fly with- No. I can’t. What am I-...but I’ll never know if I don’t try- _

After a minute or two of arguing with himself, both in his thoughts and out loud, he slammed his hands down onto the counter, looked his reflection square in the eyes, pointed at it, and said, “You, sir, are going to fly, and you are going to be okay.”

This surge of confidence surprised him. It felt so strange, but also...kind of nice. Since it was late, nobody would be able to see him, and even if they did, they would probably think it was his elytra, like Mumbo did.

Grian gave himself a nod and semi-confidently marched out of the bathroom, out of the bedroom, and to a stairwell that led to the roof of the mansion. 

He went up the stairs until he reached a ladder and trapdoor. He climbed up the ladder and opened the trapdoor, pulling himself up onto the roof.

He closed the door under him and took a look around.

The view from up here was incredible. 

Grian climbed up onto the mansion’s highest peak.

* * *

Grian was not the only one at a high height. 

Mumbo was sitting on the top of one of his tall towers, letting his long legs dangle off the side. He often came up here to just sit and think. From here, he could see Grian’s mansion. He stole a glance at it, and did a double-take.

It looked like someone was standing at the top of the roof. He could make out a silhouette, but he wasn’t sure who it was.

* * *

Back at the mansion, Grian tried to focus himself on not falling. 

“Alright, you can do this. You can fly.” He spoke out loud.

Grian opened his wings wide. They were smaller than, say, an average pair of angel-esque wings, but they seemed strong enough to hold his weight.

* * *

Mumbo watched as the silhouette opened up a pair of wings. 

“What-...what is Grian doing?” He stood up on the tower, and now faced the mansion. He could somehow see the faint glow of the wings, even from this far away.

“Is he gonna try to fly?” Mumbo asked no one.

* * *

Grian was going to try to fly. He crouched down, spread out his wings, took a deep breath and flapped as hard as he could. 

He shot off into the air, faster than he had expected. He let out a yelp as he tried to find balance and tried to get upright.

* * *

Mumbo watched as Grian was about to take-off, nervous that he would not be able to do it.

But then, his buddy flew up into the air. He seemed to stumble around in the sky for a moment before getting himself upright.

“Good job, G.” Mumbo smiled, even though there was no way Grian could hear him.

* * *

Grian finally opened his eyes. He didn’t realize he was closing them so tightly. 

As he soared through the air, he felt amazing. He felt so free and open. He looked at the ground below him. He was near Mumbo’s base and-

Grian faultered for a moment when he saw one of the towers. He could make out Mumbo’s silhouette standing atop it. Truthfully, there should have been no way that Grian could see his friend, but…

Was this another bird thing?

He shook that thought away, and at the right time too.

* * *

Mumbo chuckled as Grian zipped through the sky. He looked so happy, even though he couldn’t see his face. Mumbo took a step to the left to try and see him better, but that was the wrong choice.

He overstepped and he lost his footing. 

Mumbo fell off the top of the tower.

No worries though. He could just equip his elytra, right?

And then he remembered he had taken it off. Why had he taken it off? He never took it off when he was on a height.

So he was falling to what seemed like his inevitable doom.

He tried to stay as calm as he could, and in a last-ditch attempt to save himself, he called out “GRIAN!”

* * *

Grian had seen Mumbo fall. He expected him to fly with his elytra, but…

Why wasn’t he doing so?

Did he not-

Grian’s thoughts were stopped short as he heard his friend call out his name. 

A strange, fight-or-flight response took ahold of him.

It felt like an unknown force caused him to react quickly.

Grian dove down through the air, feeling the pressure as he cut through the sky. 

He zipped down, quickly approaching the ground.

He could make it. He could catch his friend. He could-

Grian stopped thinking that he could, and starting doing it.

He swooped down right as Mumbo was close to the hard earth and caught the tall man safely in his scarred arms. 

Grian slowly lowered himself down to the ground, holding his best friend in his arms.

* * *

Mumbo was shell-shocked. He was sure that he was going to die, but right before he did, he was saved. 

He looked at his guardian angel with wide eyes as he tried to calm down his breathing.

Grian looked so heroic. The moonlight reflecting off his shimmering feathers, the calm expression (on the inside, he was probably freaking out), the scar covered arms holding him up. Heck, he  _ was _ heroic in that moment. Grian didn’t look down at Mumbo until they reached the ground.

* * *

Grian softly brought his feet to the floor. He closed his wings and looked down at Mumbo, whom he was still holding. His friend’s hair was messed up, his face was pale (more pale than it already was), and his eyes were as wide as Keralis’

Grian was about to speak when Mumbo threw his arms around G’s neck and hugged him tightly. 

Now it was Grian’s turn to be speechless. 

Mumbo let go and hopped out of G’s arms. 

“You saved me!” Mumbo grinned like an idiot and held out his arms in excitement.

“I-...I did, didn’t I?” Grian mumbled and looked at his arms. “I- I did, didn’t I?” He spoke louder and more confidently this time. 

He looked up at Mumbo with a smile. “I saved you! I did it! I told myself I could fly, and I did, and I saved you, and-”

Grian froze. Mumbo knew now, didn’t he? Could he pass it off as his elytra again? 

“You alright?” Mumbo looked at his friend. He could almost see the confidence evaporate from Grian’s expression.

“I-...” Grian looked panicked again. He started to walk backwards, into the shadows. 

Mumbo sighed. “Grian…”

His friend slinked back into the darkness, hoping that he could hide his wings again.

“If this is about the scars-” Mumbo decided to play it safe.

“It’s….it’s not…” Grian said to himself, but perhaps a bit too loudly. 

Mumbo heard him.

Grian turned to go. “I...I need to leave.”

He began to bolt out of the base, but Mumbo called after him.

“It’s okay! I know about the wings!”

Those words made the hermit freeze in his tracks. He felt so exposed now. His secret was out. He wanted to shrink away. He couldn’t move. His arms and legs felt like they were stone. His breathing was sharp and painful.

Mumbo made his way over to his halted friend.

“Grian-” he began to say.

“N-no. You don’t need to say anything. We  _ don’t _ need to talk about this. This is  _ my _ problem, and...and I can handle it myself!” Grian turned to look at Mumbo.

“Are you sure? You seem panicky and scared. I can help you! Please! I want you to be able to feel comfortable around me again.” Mumbo crouched down so that he was more at Grian’s eye level. 

“Please. Let me help you.”

Grian tried to step back, but Mumbo put his hand on his shoulder.

“Why are you so ashamed of your wings, Grian?”

A simple question, but it was one that required a complicated answer. 

“...”

He just didn’t answer.

Mumbo sighed. “Do you want to talk in the morning, once the excitement from this whole ordeal has softened?”

Grian slowly nodded.

“Okay. But tomorrow, we  _ are _ going to talk about this.”

Grian nodded again, this time even more slowly.

He didn’t want to talk about it, but it seemed like he had no choice. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Grian said, unintentionally cold. He walked off towards his base, leaving Mumbo alone.

The tall Englishman sat down on the ground and rested his arms on his knees. He place his head in the crook of his arms and closed his eyes. His heart rate had finally returned to normal from the fall, but his thoughts were racing even faster than before.

At least tomorrow would be a good day, right?

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fdhfourffdhsfhroeaf yes yes more angst because I am incapable of writing anything but that


	8. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you never let your past go, it’ll keep coming back to haunt you.

_“Seriously, bro, are you sure about this?”_

_“C‘mon G! It’ll be fine!” Taurtis laughed, climbing up the tall jungle trees._

_“Alright….RACE YOU!” Grian laughed and started climbing up the tree as fast as he could._

_Taurtis increased his speed to try and beat his buddy. Somehow his headphones stayed on, even as he pushed through the leaves._

_Grian lost sight of his friend as he went through the foliage. Everything was fine until he heard a cry._

_He looked up to see Taurtis falling above him. As his friend fell past him, G turned and grabbed Taurtis’ arm, catching him._

_Grian was pretty short and small, but he was undeniably strong._

_Taurtis’ breathing was erratic as Grian pulled him up into his arms._

_“I’ve got you. I won’t let you go.” He held his buddy tightly in his arms, sitting on a strong branch of the tree. Taurtis hugged him back._

_“Ohhh my goshhhh….thank you so much bro-” Taurtis laughed._

_“No problem dude.” G smiled._

_His face went pale as a loud screech could be heard through the jungle._

_“Oh no…” Taurtis looked at Grian._

_“Not the Thunderbirds-” Grian looked afraid._

_The last thing he saw was the giant black bird swooping towards them_

“GAH!”

Grian shot up, breathing quickly, his heart racing. 

He hated that dream.

He thought he was OVER that dream.

But it must have come back because of his wings and...well, because of what happened with Mumbo.

He looked at the clock. It was almost 4 am. 

Grian was too spooked to go back to sleep, so he decided to see if his terrible wings had gotten bigger.

He got up and went over to the bathroom, flicking on the light. 

Yup. Bigger. 

He wasn’t sure if he could even hide these under a sweater anymore without breaking them.

He stepped up to the mirror and blinked hard.

His eyes….

They weren’t their usual blue anymore.

They looked almost purple…

And not only that, but his face was now dotted in these purple freckles. 

“AH!” Grian jumped back in surprise. He had no idea what was happening to him, or why. 

“I gotta get away. I gotta get help.” He started freaking out. 

He thought about Mumbo, who was going to be coming over that day. He didn’t think Mumbo would be able to help him. He needed the help of someone who would understand.

Grian looked out the window and saw that it was beginning to rain. 

He sighed and walked out of the bathroom and into his room.

He grabbed a few essential items, like his sword and his elytra, and put them into his inventory. 

It was still dark out, but he was sure that his friend would be up this early.

He always was, for some reason. 

Grian didn’t think that he even slept at all.

Grian went up to the roof of the mansion, into the rain, which was starting to come down.

He spread his wings and took off, even faster than before. He was able to get a handle on it quicker though.

Flying in the rain felt so nice. The water danced off his slick feathers and it was nice and cool. It made his scars stop burning.

Grian soared through the dark and cloudy skies that were only slighter lighter than normal, since the sun would be rising in a couple of hours.

He flew for a good amount of time before he reached a base that was themed around bees and towers. 

He swooped down through the rain and the trees to land in front of the main building. The lights were on, of course. 

Xisuma never slept.

Grian, soaking wet, stepped up to the door and knocked. 

After a moment, he heard footsteps, and a tall yellow-clad man opened the door.

He was just as bee-themed as his base. Bees were new, and X loved them to bits.

“Grian! You’re...soaking wet and half naked, is everything okay?” 

G looked at Xisuma with a pleading expression.

“P-please X, I need your help.”

Xisuma looked a bit surprised. He stepped aside and motioned for his friend to come in.

“Well, let’s get you outta the rain first. We can talk as you dry off. I’ll start a fire for you!”

Grian stepped inside, his pants dripping around his ankles, his wings feeling cold, and his hair against his head.

Xisuma hopped off to go start a fire in the fireplace, but not before giving G a soft towel.

He dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his arms. He walked over to the fireplace as X was done lighting it.

“Alright, now that that is done.” X spoke and sat down next to the fireplace, patting the ground beside him for Grian to sit.

Grian took his place next to Xisuma. He shivered, but the fire and towel were helping.

“Now-” Xisuma started to say as he began to remove his helmet. “Why were you out in the rain at 4 am?” 

X took his helmet off and shook out his hair. It was quite fluffy and dark brown. Xisuma had scars on his face just like the scars Grian had on his torso and arms. There was one the went across the bridge of his nose, and another that went through his left eye. They made him look like a warrior, which he was.

The only detail that didn’t seem to fit Xisuma’s battle-scarred vibe were his glowing, purple freckles. They were in the same patterns as constellations, and seemed to change every now and again. 

Grian could make out the Big Dipper on X’s right cheek. 

“Grian?” 

G blinked. “Oh, uh, sorry, I got distracted.”

He brought his hand to his face, remembering the sudden appearance of his own freckles. 

“Something’s happening to me.” Grian said.

X patiently waited for his friend to continue.

“You know my fear of birds….right?”

X nodded. He knew all about the birds. X was the only hermit who knew Grian’s past, which was why Grian chose him for help.

“Well…” G slipped the towel off of his shoulders, letting his wings open. They shimmered in the warm firelight.

Xisuma looked amazed at them. He sat up to get a closer look.

“These...these are incredible!” X exclaimed.

“I’m glad you think so...I hate them.”

X sat back down. “Why do you-...oh.” 

Xisuma recalled the birds again, and took a look at the scar on Grian’s right shoulder. 

“I totally understand.”

Grian couldn’t help but give a small smile. Xisuma understood.

The problem with Mumbo was that he didn’t understand why Grian was ashamed of the wings. Mumbo didn’t know Grian’s past, and G would rather not get into it with him. He didn’t want to torture himself by recounting his painful backstory to his best friend.

“So...why do you need my help?”

Grian thought for a moment, trying to think of the right way to ask. “I was wondering if by some small chance...you could use your admin powers or something to get rid of them?”

Xisuma closed his eyes and sighed. “You know I can’t do that, G.”

Grian looked down at his hands. “Yeah…I know...It was worth a shot though...I also came here because I just needed to talk to someone who understood.”

Xisuma looked up again. “What about Mumbo?”

The winged man shook his head. “He...he knows about the wings and my scars, but...I just don’t want to tell him why this all hurts.”

Xisuma set a gloved hand on Grian’s shoulder. 

“You can’t avoid these things forever.”

Grian looked X square in the eyes. 

“I can if you help me.”

“And why would I help you run away from your problems?”

“Because you’ve done it before. That’s the whole reason why I’m here, and why I’m still alive.” 

X looked at his friend. He wanted to help Grian, but this wasn’t the right way.

“Please...hide me for a day or two. I need time to think without Mumbo trying to talk to me.” Grian’s pleading expression broke Xisuma.

“Fine. But only for a few days. People will start to worry after even a day, but I’ll reassure them that you’re okay.”

Grian smiled and threw his arms around his bee buddy.

“Thank you” 

X was surprised again. Grian never gave people hugs, but he gave one to him. It felt...special. 

Xisuma hugged back. “After this though, you have to talk to Mumbo.”

Grian let go and looked away.

“Okay.” He replied solemnly.

“Good. Okay then!” Xisuma clapped, “Are you hungry? I know it’s only 4:30 AM, but I’m hungry.”

Grian chuckled. “Yeah, okay. Let’s eat then.”

Xisuma got up and headed over to his kitchen. 

Grian sat for a moment longer by the fire, feeling its warmth. 

He couldn’t help but feel like this was all going to be a terrible mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dshfjrghreikhfrjhfaer XISUMA AHHH   
> I love my bee boy so much


	9. Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known.

Mumbo had woken up early and baked a fresh batch of cookies for his friend. He made the smart decision of making snickerdoodles rather than chocolate chip. If Grian really  _ was  _ becoming a bird, he didn’t want to kill him. 

The cookies had just finished baking, and the Architech was letting them cool. He took off the oven mitts, untied his apron (which Iskall had taken time to stitch the words “Sahara Shrimps” onto), and set them both on the counter.

He still had time to spare before he had to head over to Grian’s place. 

Mumbo turned around and glanced at the table. Amongst the many complicated redstone blueprints was one of the posters Grian had made.

“Mumbooooo foooooor maaayoooorr” He drew out the words and then shook his head. “Still doesn’t sound right.”

He suddenly recalled what he had forgotten that he’d forgotten. Grumbot.

Mumbo never looked at the answer that the robot gave. Maybe he should do that.

The tall Englishman decided that, yes, that is indeed what he will do before heading over to Grian’s. He grabbed some diamonds and paper, as well as his elytra and rockets. Mumbo headed outside of his base, the rain still pouring. 

The rain didn’t bother him. Sure, redstone and water don’t mix, but...rain was fine.

Mumbo equipped his elytra and shot himself off with a rocket. He zipped through the cold air, the raindrops sharply hitting his face.

It was so dark out here, even at 6:45 am, that the only way he was able to see Grumbot was because of his brightly lit screen.

When the soaking hermit flew in front of the robot, the expression on the screen changed. It was a smile. 

An arrow appeared on the screen, replacing Grumbot’s normal face, and it pointed down towards the answer slot.

“Oh, you want me to check the answer you gave me-” Mumbo spoke out loud to the AI.

The arrow disappeared and Grumbot’s face came back on screen. 

“Alrighty then.”

Mumbo stepped towards the answer slot at the command centre. Grumbot seemed to have retracted the paper, perhaps in hopes it wouldn’t get wet. 

He put his hand against the cold, wet metal, and Grumbot responded to his touch.

_ Weird.  _ Mumbo thought.  _ I didn’t program  _ this _ advanced of an AI for him- _

His thoughts were interrupted by a paper coming out of the slot.

Mumbo took it with his wet hands and read it out loud to himself. 

“‘...I know that you will be a great mayor Da-...”

He stopped, stepped back, and looked up. “Wha-...I-”

Grumbot’s smile blinked happily. 

“Wait, are you-...Are you calling me your dad?” Mumbo seemed very confused and surprised.

Another paper came out of the answer slot. Mumbo stepped to the command centre and took it. 

It read, “Yes! You built me! You are my dad!”

Mumbo read it in his head a few times. “I didn’t build you by myself though. Grian did half of the work.” 

Another paper printed.

This one read, “Yes! Grian is also my dad! You two are my dads!”

Mumbo looked up at who was apparently now his robot son. “You-.. I-... But-...”

The robot looked so happy. Mumbo didn’t want to break him. 

He sighed and put his hand on Grumbot’s command centre. “Alright...I guess I am your dad!” 

Grumbot played a happy tune for a moment, making Mumbo smile.

“I should probably head back now. It’s almost time for me to meet up with Grian.” The hermit gestured behind him. 

A paper quickly printed, which Mumbo took.

It read, “I will see you later then, Dad. Tell other Dad that I say hi!”

Mumbo was glad no one else was around to see his flustered face. 

“I’ll do that-”

Another paper printed.

It stated 4 simple words, but they affected Mumbo so greatly. 

The paper read, “I love you, Dad!”

Mumbo shook his head and clinged to the paper. He was sort of in disbelief in what had happened over the span of a few minutes. 

Grumbot’s eyes looked down at his human father, expectantly.

Mumbo hesitated for a moment, and then put his arms around Grumbot as best he could (which was basically not at all…). He kissed the metal and smiled. “I love you too...son.” He gave a slight laugh.

Grumbot’s arms, which hadn’t moved at all yet, curved inwards and gently pressed Mumbo up against the command centre.

The robot boy hugged him back.

Mumbo felt really strange.

In a good way, though. 

He felt happy, but also embarrassed, but also proud and loved. Did all parents feel this way? If so, he might make more robot kids. He really liked this feeling.

Grumbot moved his arms back to their original position. Mumbo stepped back, his clothes soaking wet from the rain. He felt more ready to talk to Grian now. 

“I’ll see you later, kiddo.” Mumbo gave his roboson a wave and a proud smile.

Grumbot waved back, and on his screen a heart appeared. 

Mumbo turned around and put his hand on his cheek. 

Everything felt so nice right now.

Mumbo had gone back home to get the cookies and head to Grian’s.  Since it was raining, he thought that Grian would like to stay home and sit by the fire, eating cookies and discussing G’s situation. The thought of being able to just sit and talk with his friend made Mumbo feel warm inside. It had been so long since the two of them had a heart-to-heart, and Mumbo could sense how much Grian needed one. No matter! Mr. Jumbo was on the case to track down the cause of his best friend’s pain!

Mumbo’s smile was wide as he set the cookies in a clear plastic carrying case so that they wouldn’t get soggy. He hummed a tune to himself as he walked out the door. Nothing could ruin his mood. Even if Grian refused to talk, at least they would get to hang out! Mumbo loved just hanging out. 

He skipped his way over to his buddy’s mansion, the lanterns illuminating it in a foreboding way. This made Mumbo laugh as he hopped up the stairs to the front doors. He leaned back and pressed the doorbell with his shoe. 

_ DING DONG _

Mumbo kinda danced in place, humming a dumb song Grian once sung. He waited for a minute and then paused. 

No answer.

He pressed the bell again.

_ DING DONG _

The bell echoed through the empty mansion. Was Grian asleep? If he was, then that was okay. Mumbo was sure that the door tone would wake him up.

Mumbo waited for 2 more minutes. 

Those 2 minutes quickly melted into 4, and then 6, until he had waited for almost 10 whole minutes. 

He had stopped humming around minute mark 2.

Worry started to fill his mind. 

Grian was okay, right? Mumbo didn’t think that he would do anything-

Mumbo’s heart jumped at the notion of his friend ending it all.

His panic took over and Mumbo raised his leg and kicked down the door. 

It broke off of its hinges and the tall man ran inside, his eyes already filling up with tears. Why was he panicking so much? Everything was okay! Right?

“GRIAN!” Mumbo clutched the case of cookies to his chest as he ran up the stairs, dripping puddles.

He ran across the carpeted hall to Grian’s bedroom. 

The bed was empty. It was unmade, but Grian never made his bed. 

The bathroom light was still on, and a few purple feathers were scattered around the room. 

“G-Grian?” Mumbo’s grip on the case had not lessened. He dashed out of the room and proceeded to check every room in the ginormous mansion. 

He popped into each room, almost all of them empty and unfurnished, and called out. “Grian!” 

He got no response to any of his calls. 

“Please Grian! Where are you?” Mumbo called out through the echoing halls of the manor. 

Maybe Grian was on the roof? Mumbo lept up the stairs, 4 at a time.

He went to the access port of the roof and climbed the ladder, holding the handle of the cookie case in his mouth. He opened up the trapdoor and pulled himself up onto the roof. The rain was still coming down hard, and there was no sign of his winged buddy. 

He closed the trapdoor behind him and stood up. He took the case out of his mouth and called out one more time, “GRIAN!”

His cry echoed through the jungle.

Still, no answer was given.

Mumbo couldn’t find his friend. He couldn’t confirm if he was okay or not.

He sat down and started to think of the worst possible scenarios. 

His breathing was anxious and he couldn’t tell if it was rain or tears streaming down his cheeks. He pulled his knees to his chest and cried.

Everything was about to be so perfect. How could this happen?

His best friend was missing, and Mumbo didn’t know where to start.

Perhaps he could get help!

Mumbo looked up as he thought this.

_ Yes. Xisuma can help me find him! _ Mumbo started to calm down and feel a bit better. 

He sat there for a few minutes more, as the sky got lighter and the rain kept on coming down.

Xisuma could fix all of this! 

Mumbo was sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAN.  
> When i first started this chapter, I was feeling so soft  
> I was in the mood to write some FLUFF or SOMETHING SOFT  
> But NOOOO this chapter demanded the angst  
> (I promise, there will be wholesome soft stuff in later chapters)  
> Hjdfhdhgfs if you follow my instagram or are in my Snapshot server, you know all about BigGrian and his freaking amazing hugs and that’s the reason I’m so soft right now haha  
> Okay but legit as I was writing the angsty part, my heart was racing and I was panicking, even though I know what happens lol


	10. Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Where did I go wrong?  
> I lost a friend  
> Somewhere along in the bitterness  
> And I would have stayed up with you all night  
> Had I known how to save a life"

Grian was sitting in front of the fireplace finishing the sandwich that Xisuma had made for him. X was still in the kitchen, cleaning up. He was singing a song that Grian had never heard before, but it had words that sounded like a different language. 

  
“... _Something that does right by you, I would do about anything, ╎ ∴𝙹⚍ꖎ↸ ᒷ⍊ᒷリ ꖎᒷᔑ∷リ ⍑𝙹∴ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ …”_

  
Grian stole a glance over to his friend. Whenever X sang the foreign words, his freckles glowed and twinkled like real stars. 

  
He hopped around the kitchen island, wiping it down with a rag, when someone banged on the front door. Xisuma stopped singing and set down his rag. Grian dropped down and laid down against the back of the couch so that he couldn’t be seen by whoever was at the door. 

  
Xisuma wasn’t wearing his helmet as he walked over to the front door. He didn’t need it when he was inside his house. He had left it on the couch, next to Grian. X opened the front door and saw a soaking wet Mumbo, who’s expression changed as he saw the admin without his helmet. Xisuma realized why his tall friend was surprised, and he immediately slammed the door. 

  
“SORRY! HOLD ON A SECOND!” he called out to the door. He ran over to the couch, grabbed the helmet, gave Grian a sympathetic look, put it on, and went back over to the front door.

He opened the door with a chuckle. “Sorry about that, mate.” 

Mumbo looked confused for a moment, but he shook his head and shakily spoke. “It..it’s alright.” 

Xisuma examined his friend’s emotional state. Mumbo was drenched (it was still raining outside), but it was obvious that the man had been crying. He looked very distressed and frantic, and he was holding a plastic container of cookies.

“It doesn’t look like it’s alright-” Xisuma looked up at the man. “Are you okay?”

“DoyouknowwhereGrianisbecauseIcan’tfindhimandI’mworriedthathemaybehurtor -”

  
X cut him off. “Woah, okay, I’m gonna need you to slooow down if I’m gonna help you; I can’t understand a word of what you just said.”

Mumbo took a shaky breath and tried again. “Do you know where Grian is? He’s missing, and I...I’m worried about him.”

Xisuma thought about the winged man hiding on the couch. He promised he would help

Grian, but that meant hurting Mumbo. He could lie to him, but that would probably just result in more panic. 

He decided to play it somewhat safe. 

“I know where he is, Mumbo. He’s okay.” Xisuma put a hand on Mumbo’s arm in an attempt to reassure him.

“W-where is he?” Mumbo looked slightly hopeful. On X’s shoulder was a shimmery purple feather, meaning that G must be close.

“I’m sorry but,...he asked me to keep him hidden. Just for a few days! He said he needed time to think without people trying to help him...if that makes sense.” 

Mumbo looked hurt. “I-...oh…” He started to say something, but then decided against it. 

“I guess I’ll just leave these with you.” The tall man handed the plastic container over to the beekeeper. Inside were snickerdoodles and a few typed notes. “I made the cookies for him, and the notes are from our robot.”

Xisuma took the case and watched as his friend started to turn away. 

“W-wait! Hold on!” 

Mumbo stopped walking and turned around. With a tired, sad sigh, he asked, “What is it, X?”

Xisuma stepped out into the rain, towards the Architech. “Grian loves you. You know that, right? You’re his best friend, and, well, he’s aware that what he’s doing probably hurts you so much. And he’s sorry! He doesn’t want to hurt you. That’s why he’s hiding away. He doesn’t want you to have to bear any pain because of him.” 

Mumbo listened to the words, which only made things feel worse. If Grian didn’t want to hurt him, he would ask for help, right?

Mumbo didn’t know anymore.

Instead of replying, Mumbo just pulled X into a hug. Xisuma was now also drenched.

“Can you give this to him as well?” Mumbo asked as he let go, referring to the hug. “It seems like he’s much more comfortable hugging you than he is hugging me.” Mumbo spoke in a rather cold tone. He motioned to the watertight feather on the admin’s shoulder. 

“Mumbo-” 

“It’s alright. You don’t need to tell me anything else. I’m not mad...I’m just...I don’t even know what I am anymore.” The tall Englishman looked defeated. 

“I’ve got to go.” he pointed with his thumb over his shoulder.

Xisuma sighed. “It’s only for a few days.”

Mumbo nodded and turned around, shooting himself off with a rocket and gliding away with his elytra. 

X turned back around and went into the house. He was now soaking wet, and there was water inside of his boots. He took them off and dumped the rainwater outside before setting them by the door. He took off his helmet and set it on a stand next to the door as well. 

Xisuma took the plastic case and walked over to Grian, his soggy socks leaving puddles on the wood floor. Grian was laying on his side, facing the fireplace. He looked unbelievably tired.

Xisuma set the case next to Grian’s head. “He left this for you.” 

Grian slowly sat up. He had heard the whole conversation.

“He also wanted me to give you a hug, but I think it’d be best if I changed out of my wet clothes first.” Xisuma said with a slight chuckle. 

Grian gave a slight smile, but his heart was not in it. Xisuma headed up the stairs as G took the case. He could see paper and cookies inside. 

He opened the latches and removed the top of the case, setting it down beside him.

He set the papers aside for a moment and held up a cookie. No chocolate. 

Grian, who’s eyes were already filling up with tears, couldn’t help but chuckle as he started to cry. 

Mumbo had taken Grian’s birdness into consideration.

Now Grian felt even worse for abandoning him.

He took a bite of the cookie, and it was actually really good. Mumbo made them for him. 

G wiped the tears from his eyes and picked up the papers. 

They were typed, and looked to be responses from Grumbot. He read the one on top. 

“I know you will be a great mayor, Dad.” 

Grian stopped. He looked at the other papers, hoping for context. The second one read, “Yes! You built me! You are my dad!”

Now G was confused. He shoved the rest of the cookie in his mouth and picked up the rest of the papers, reading them out loud as he examined each one.

“Yes! Grian is also my dad! You two are my dads!” Grian choked from surprise on the cookie as he read that. 

He coughed and went to the next one. 

“I will see you later then, Dad. Tell other Dad that I say hi!”

Grian felt really weird about the whole situation. But at least he hadn’t thought about his wings since Mumbo dropped by. The weirdness seemed to be a good distraction.

The final paper simultaneously warmed and broke his heart.

He held it up and read it outloud to himself.

“I love you, Dad!”

Grian couldn’t help himself from breaking down in tears.

From upstairs, Xisuma could hear Grian reading the notes out loud. He couldn’t make out what his winged buddy was saying, but he could tell that he was crying. 

X quickly changed out of his bee suit and into a casual pair of shorts and a Metallica t-shirt. He threw his soaked suit into the dryer and ran back down the stairs as Grian read out the final message from his robot. 

His friend started to sob. Xisuma vaulted over the back of the couch and landed on the cushion next to Grian, who was crying into the paper.

“Hey! It’s gonna be alright!” Xisuma put his arm around Grian’s shoulder and gave him a side hug. Grian turned to Xisuma, allowing the admin to fully hug him. He cried into X’s shoulder, clutching the paper.

X knew that it was more than just the note that was making G cry. The whole situation, combined with what Mumbo had said (Xisuma assumed that Grian heard the entire thing) was too much for the tired bird to handle at the moment. 

Xisuma just rubbed G’s back and stroked his wings to comfort his crying friend. After a long while, Grian’s sobs became quieter and his breathing was more peaceful. He stopped crying all together.

The admin looked down at Grian, who had fallen asleep against X. 

With a smile, X pulled Grian closer so that he would be in a more comfortable sleeping position. The fire flickered and continued to warm the house as the cold rain continued to soak the outside.

Xisuma sat there with Grian for another 10 minutes or so until he had to get up and attend to his admin duties.

As he got up, he set a pillow under Grian’s head and put a blanket over him. X took the case and the notes and set them on the floor next to the couch. He ruffled G’s hair and smiled before heading back upstairs.

Grian was going through a lot, but it was about to get even worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long to come out haha whoops  
> btw I posted a song about Featherweight on my YT channel (DoctorSiren) if you wanna check it out!


	11. Descent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You are my dad! You’re my dad! Boogie woogie woogie!

Mumbo was half-correct. Xisuma did help...sort of.

At least he knew that Grian was okay. Even if Grian didn’t want his help. 

Mumbo flew through the air with his elytra, thinking about what X had told him. 

_ Grian doesn’t want help. No no, he doesn’t want  _ my _ help. He wants Xisuma’s help.  _

“Which makes sense-” Mumbo stopped thinking in his head and started talking outloud to himself as he flew through the icy, piercing rain. 

“Xisuma is much more qualified, right? He’s the admin, he knows best. Besides, it seems like him and Grian have history or something. X  _ is _ the one who brought Gri to the server.”

Mumbo paused for a moment to look where he was going. He was near his mayoral building.

He had no reason to go back to his base. It would be best if he worked on Grumbot or something. He just needed to  _ do _ something, anything, to get his mind off of Grian.

Mumbo couldn’t help but feel jealous of Xisuma. Wasn’t Grian supposed to be  _ his _ best friend?

The tall Englishman made a semi-graceful landing on the platform, only slipping a little from the rain, which didn’t look like it would let up anytime soon.

Grumbot’s screen lit up as Mumbo approached. 

The robot played a little tune and gave a happy expression. Mumbo expected his son to print out a message of greetings, but that didn’t happen. 

Instead, Grumbot made more noise, but this time, it sounded almost like words.

Mumbo could make out a bit of it.

“Hello Dad!” 

He stepped back in surprise. He didn’t program Grumbot to be able to speak. Was his AI evolving?

No, no. There’s no possible way that could be happening. Mumbo made sure that that wouldn’t be a possibility.

At least, he  _ thought _ he did.

Mumbo thought back to when they were building the boy, and realized his mistake.

“Well, crap.” Mumbo facepalmed.

More beeps and tones came from the big robot.

It sounded like, “What’s wrong, Dad?”

“I-...er, nothing. It’s nothing!” Mumbo lied. He couldn’t tell Grumbot that he had forgotten to evolve-proof his AI. If Grumbot knew that Mumbo intended to do that, it could be detrimental to the server. 

Mumbo told himself it would be fine. 

_ I mean, what are the odds that a robot would cause the downfall of Hermitcraft? _

“Where’s other Dad?” Grumbot seemed to say through digital tones.

“Other Dad…? OH! Grian!” Mumbo ran his hand through his sopping wet hair.  “He’s...well,...He’s hiding. He’s not doing too well, so he’s hiding out at Xisuma’s base...hiding out from me…” 

Grumbot extended his hand to his sad father and set it next to him, as if waiting for Mumbo to step onto it like a platform.

The Architech was compliant and stepped onto the big metal hand. Grumbot brought his hand up to his boxy head and held Mumbo close. It was the closest thing to a real hug that Grumbot could give. 

Mumbo understood what his boy was trying to do, and his heart was warmed by the gesture.

The man stepped closer to the mayoral bot’s head, and hugged the corner of it, best he could.

He could hear the whirring of his cooling fans inside, and the screen gave off a warm glow. 

Grumbot whistled a tune, and made some noise that sounded like “I love you very much, Dad!”

Mumbo stepped away from the screen and put his hands on his cheeks. He felt a little embarrassed for some reason. 

It was strange for Mumbo to be shy in any way. The sparkly, 6’5 Englishman was known for building big structures and making many Redstone contraptions. But for some reason, whenever Grumbot called him “Dad”, Mumbo would be at a loss for words.

Mr. Jumbo looked up at his roboson’s happy expression and felt proud. 

He thought for a moment, and looked behind him. There was a cube building, partly unfinished, that caught his attention.

_ I forgot all about the shop Gri was building for me- _

Mumbo decided at that moment that would do something about it

“Grumbot-” He spoke up

The beeps sounded like, “Yes, Dad?”

“How would you like a little brother?”

Grumbot’s expression went from happy to extremely elated. He moved his head from side to side and sang a joyous tune.

Mumbo couldn’t help but smile. “I will take that as a yes!” 

Grumbot set his father down and continued to sing happily. Mumbo laughed and wiped the rain from his eyes.

He grabbed his tools from his inventory and dashed over to the shop. Building would take his mind off of Grian.

The shop was in the shape of a sitting robot, complete with little sandals. 

Grian built this on the first day, but they hadn’t done anything with it.

“Alrighty, well, I think it would just be easier to make the shop inside the structure, and then make a little robot to be the shop attendant.” Mumbo discussed his plans with himself.

And so off he went, building through the downpour. It wasn’t ideal to be working with redstone in the rain, but it worked just fine.

* * *

By the time he was finished with the mini robot, it was already very early the next morning. The rain persisted, but just like the constant tug of sadness on his heart, he ignored it.

He had been working nonstop for the entire day, and he was covered in redstone and machine grease. He was tired too. 

Mumbo studied the little robot he had just made. He was sitting on the floor of the shop, since it was dry in there, with his legs outstretched. The redstoner took the little bot’s hands and felt a surge of happiness. The droid looked like a mini version of Grumbot, if Grumbot had legs.

All he had to do was turn him on.

Mumbo pressed a button on the front of the bot and watched as the small screen lit up. 

“Hewwo!!” The little boy bot jumped up and down. Mumbo had decided to just give this one speaking rights in the first place so that he wouldn’t have to learn how to talk like Grumbot was doing. (In fact, the whole time Mumbo was working on the little boy, Grumbot had been working on talking. Mumbo could hear beeps and whistles, tones and pings, as Grumbot worked on English. He was getting good.)

“Why hello there!” Mumbo smiled. 

“I’m Jwrumbot!” The little robot danced around the sitting hermit.

“I know!” Mumbo laughed. 

“You’re my papa!” Jrumbot giggled and jumped into Mumbo’s arms.

Mumbo didn’t know why, but he liked being called that. He liked being a dad, especially to these robot boys. Much easier than real kids, he assumed.

“Yes, I am your papa.” Mumbo smiled even wider. He stood up with his baby in his arms and gave him a tight hug.

“And I love you very very  _ very  _ much.” Mr. Jumbo kissed Jrum’s screen.

“Oh! What a coincidence!” Jrumbot spoke up, his voice very young and baby-ish “cuz I wuv you too!”

Mumbo’s heart stopped at that. This little boy was far too wholesome. His face turned as red as redstone, and he laughed. He proceeded to give his little boy more kisses as he brought him into the rain. He had the foresight to waterproof both Grum and Jrum.

Mumbo brought his baby boy to meet his big brother.

“Grumbot, I want you to meet your new little brother! This is Jrumbot!”

Mumbo held Jrumbot up, Lion King style, so that Grumbot could see him better.

“Hewwo!!” Jrumbot waved his little arms about.

Grumbot’s eyes got all sparkly as he met his little brother. 

“Hi!” Grumbot’s voice was now easy to make out, and sounded a lot like a mix of Grian and Mumbo’s (which would make sense. They are his dads)

“Can I hold him, Dad?” Grum asked innocently.

“Of course, kiddo!” Mumbo beamed as Grumbot cupped his hand for Jrum to hop into. Jrumbot did just that.

Grum and Jrum started talking about their fathers and the mayoral race.

Mumbo started to space out. He started to think about Grian again. He started to think about Grian’s decision to run away without telling him. 

Mumbo started to get anxious. He started to get mad.

Xisuma said Grian loved him. Xisuma said Grian was Mumbo’s best friend.

It didn’t feel that way.

The friendship felt very one sided.

Mumbo felt so tired, but he didn’t want to sleep.

He needed to make more.

He couldn’t rest until he had made more robots.

They loved him.

He craved the feeling of being loved.

He wanted to build his family, quite literally .

He wanted-

“Papa?” 

His thoughts were interrupted by his baby. He looked up.

“What is it, Jrum?”

“Are you alwight?” The little boy asked.

“I-...I’m just fine.” He gave his son a smile. “Oh!” He clapped his hands together as an idea formulated in his head. 

“How would you like another brother...and a sister?” Mumbo offered, pointing finger guns as he said it.

“Yeah!!” Jrumbot jumped up and down in his big brother’s hand.

“I would like that too, but don’t you think you should sleep, Dad?” Grumbot sounded more human, and he sounded more concerned.

“I don’t need sleep! Sleep is for the weak!” Mumbo gave a playful grin as he took off his drenched suit jacket and set it next to Grumbot’s command centre. 

“I’ll be back in a moment! I need to get the twins!”

Mumbo zipped off on his elytra towards his base.

Mumbo was going to be okay. All he needed was to just keep building. Sure he was tired, but that didn’t matter. He promised himself that he wouldn’t sleep until Grian returned.

Hopefully Grian would come back soon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAN   
> What a good break from the angst, right?  
> Real talk though:  
> Whenever I referred to Grumbot as Mumbo’s boy, kid, or son, i legit got so soft omg  
> But when I referred to Jrumbot as Mumbo’s baby, or baby boy, my heart straight up melted and I Could Not Function
> 
> This chapter made me happy  
> It was going to be longer, and it was going to include the next parts of him working on the next robots, but I felt like i should stop it there  
> Don’t worry, the twins will get their time to shine!  
> (Oop, btw there’s already a drawing of the twins on my instagram!)
> 
> Also haha yeah the whole “robot destroying HC” is a reference to my Snapshot AU series lol


	12. Crashed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don’t overwork yourself.

When Mumbo returned, he was carrying two unfinished robots under his arms. He must be incredibly strong, for both of the robots were around the size of a tall thirteen year old. He swooped down in front of his kids and set the unfinished bots down.

They both looked extremely like Mumbo. In fact, if Mumbo were to have given the boy a mustache, he would look almost exactly like his creator (other than his obvious robot parts).

The boy only had a left eye, and the girl only had a right eye. Where their other eye should be was covered with metal plating.

Mumbo only had 2 eyes available when he first started building the twins, so he just gave them each one eye. He thought it looked cool.

Both kids wore a pair of glittery red suspenders, decorated with what one could only assume was redstone dust. The girl wore a bowtie with the same sparkly design, and the boy wore a tie of the same caliber.

“Alrighty, I will take these two kiddos into the shop to finish them!” Mumbo picked both of the kids up again under his arms.

It must have been sunrise, for the sky was getting lighter, even though the rain had yet to let up.

Mr. Jumbo brought the robots into the mayoral shop and set them down. He was very glad he waterproofed them.

“Okay, well, let’s get to work.”

Mumbo worked on the twins for the entire next day. Often, Jrumbot would run in and bring him food from a chest. Jrumbot would also just sit with his father as he built the new children.

He had only gotten the boy finished by the time it was the next day. The Architech had been working nonstop for 24 hours straight, and it was starting to show.

He looked extremely tired and kept yawning. 

But he promised he wouldn’t rest until Grian came back.

The boy was finished, so Mumbo set him aside and jumped straight into working on the girl. He smiled, because it would be nice to have a daughter amongst his 3 sons.

He hummed a tune while he worked on her circuitry. As we went on, his humming became vocalizing, and from that became full-on singing.

As the hours went by, Mr. Jumbo sang a variety of songs, everything from Frank Sinatra to Broadway show tunes.

He was sweaty and tired. His hair was a mess, and he was coated in redstone and machine oil. He had bandaids all over his hands and fingers from where he slipped and cut himself while working on his bots.

But he persisted.

The hours came back around, and soon it was the next day. His daughter was finished!

He stood up, almost falling over. He caught himself on a crafting table and gave out a tired laugh. 

“Just gotta boot them up.” He mumbled to himself as he approached the two robots. He pressed the centre of the girl’s bowtie, and pressed the knot of the boy’s tie.

Both robots made a start-up noise and opened their eyes.

“Hello there!” Mumbo gave them both a tired but loving smile.

“I’m your dad! Your names are Amelia-” He put his hand on the girl’s shoulder. “And Circuit!” He placed his other hand on the boy’s shoulder.

Both robots smiled wide.

“Hello Father!” Amelia giggled and threw her arms around the fatigued man.

“Hey Dad!” Circuit did the same.

Mumbo put his arms around his new kids and squeezed them tight. He kissed the tops of their heads and let go of the hug.

“Would you like to meet your brothers? Technically, you two are older than them, so I think they would be your little brothers.” Mumbo took them both by the hand.

The twins nodded with a smile. 

“Great!” The tall Englishman led the robot children out of the shop and into the fresh air. It had stopped raining, and the clouds were beginning to part.

Mumbo smiled as he spotted a rainbow forming in the sky. 

He brought the robots to Grum and Jrum, who were talking about the other mayoral candidates.

“Boys-” Mumbo began to speak. “I want you to meet your new siblings! Amelia and Circuit!” 

The twins waved at their brothers. 

Jrumbot immediately jumped up and ran on over to them. 

“Hewwo!! I’m Jwumbot!!” He threw his little arms around Amelia’s legs, and then proceeded to do the same with Circuit.

Amelia laughed and crouched down. “‘Ello there, Jrumbot! I’m Amelia!”

Circuit crouched down next to her. “I’m Circuit!” He gave his little brother a fist-bump (which made Jrumbot beep with joy).

Jrumbot grabbed their hands and tried to pull them towards Grumbot.

The twins let themselves follow their brobot. 

Grumbot looked down at his new family members, and he whistled a happy tune. “I’m Grumbot!” He sang.

He set his giant hand down for his siblings to step onto. Once they did, he lifted them up so they would be more level to his screen. The four of them began talking about the family.

“Daddy isn’t here wight now.” Jrumbot said sadly, referring to Grian.

Amelia looked confused. “Isn’t he right there?” She pointed to Mumbo, who looked like he was lost in thought.

“No no, that’s Papa! Daddy is Gwian!” Jrum tried to clear up the confusion.

Amelia gave her twin a look. 

“We don’t have another dad.” Circuit spoke up. “Mumbo is our only dad.”

“Oh, that’s right. I guess Grian didn’t help build you two, so that makes sense that he wouldn’t be your dad.” Grumbot replied.

Mumbo started thinking again, which was dangerous to say the least. It seemed like unless he was actually working on a project, he wouldn’t be able to get his mind off of his winged buddy.

Mumbo tugged at his tie and loosened it as he racked his brain for more work he could do.

He was in the middle of thinking when someone came up behind him.

“Hey Mumbo!” 

The tall man turned around to see his good friend Scar standing there with his cat, Jellie, in his arms. He was sporting a new look, so it took a moment for the tired builder to recognize him. 

Scar used to be wearing a purple wizard hat and robe, with a gray shirt and a pair of boxers. He had dyed his hair gray and completed the look with a wizard-esque beard.

But now he was clean-shaven and his hair was neat and back to its natural colour. He now wore a ridiculous suit, looking like the mayor of a cartoon town. He had a set of long scars across his face, fitting his name.

“Oh! You changed your outfit!” Mumbo observed.

“Yeah! I’m running for mayor as well, and Bdubs thought I should look the part.” Scar said while petting his cat. He examined his tall friend, and became a bit worried at how exhausted he looked.

“Are you okay? You look tired.” 

Tired was an understatement.

“I’m doing just dandy!” Mumbo smiled, but immediately yawned.

Scar looked skeptical, but his attention was brought to the robots behind Mumbo. 

“Have you been building?” He asked.

Mumbo nodded. “You wanna meet them?” 

Scar shrugged. “Sure.” He gave his friend a smile.

“Great!” Mumbo grinned and led his buddy over to meet his family.

“Scar, I want you to meet my kids.” Mumbo motioned to the robots. 

Scar was caught off-guard by the man calling his bots his “kids”. Although, it wasn’t too much of a surprise. It made sense for Mumbo.

Grumbot lowered his hand so his brothers and sister could meet their dad’s friend.

Amelia was holding Jrumbot, who began to wiggle his way out of her arms when he spotted Jellie. “KITTY!” He exclaimed and hopped away from his sister. He dashed up to the Wonka-dressed man and began jumping up and down, trying to reach the cat. 

Scar looked down at the tiny robot with a smile and set Jellie down for him to pet. Jrum wrapped his arms around the cat and hugged her, rubbing his TV head against her fur. She didn’t look amused, but she was fine.

“That’s Jrumbot, he’s the baby” Mumbo smiled, and motioned towards his little boy. 

“That right there is Amelia”

The robogirl waved to Scar. 

“That’s her twin brother, Circuit.” 

The roboy waved as well.

“And that’s Grumbot!”

The big bot waved as well.

Scar gave them all a smile. “Hello! It’s nice to meet you all!”

Mumbo looked around at his family with a smile that was sweet, but a little insane. His eye twitched from fatigue. He looked frantic and erratic, but tried to play it off. He nervously pulled at his tie until it was completely loose. He was lost in his head, and he didn’t hear Scar calling his name.

“Mumbo!” The candidate grabbed Mumbo by the arms.

“Huh?” Mumbo shook his head and spacily looked at his friend.

“Are-...Are you okay? You don’t look so well.”

Mumbo gave out a laugh. “I am perfectly fine! Don’t worry about me!”

Scar persisted. “Where’s Grian?”

Mumbo stepped away from Scar. “Not here.” He spoke coldly.

Scar looked up and down at his tall friend. Mumbo looked like he was on the verge of breaking into pieces. Everything about him was messy and he kept fidgeting with his sleeves and kept running his hands through his hair. He kept looking around anxiously. 

Scar sighed. “Mumbo...get some sleep. Take a shower. Just-...take a break.”

Something seemed to snap within Mumbo. He turned around sharply and grabbed Scar by the shoulders. “I can’t!” He stared into his friend’s green eyes. 

“I can’t sleep anymore! I need to keep building! If I don’t-....well,...I don’t know what will happen, but it’ll be bad!”

Scar gave his friend a worried look. Mumbo’s eyes were extremely tired and were filled with tears. 

“Mumbo...at least just sit down and just rest...sit with your kids. They love you.” Scar tried to reason with him.

Mumbo collapsed onto the ground. He sat there, and just let the tears stream from his eyes. 

Amelia rushed over to her father and tacked him with a hug. 

“Don’t cry!” She pleaded.

Circuit rushed over and hugged his dad as well. “Dad!”

Scar watched as these robots showered his friend with love. Jrumbot dragged Jellie over to Mumbo. 

“Will dis kitty hewlp?” He looked very sad at the sight of his crying papa.

Mumbo sniffled a laugh and pet Jellie. 

Scar stepped towards the Architech and crouched down next to him. He put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. 

“Your family loves you. They’ll help you, alright?” He gave Mumbo a hug.

He hugged back and got grease and redstone all over Scar’s new suit.

“Ah-...I’m sorry!” Mumbo laughed. 

Scar looked down at his suit and smiled. “It’s all good. Bdubs made like, 12 of these.” 

He stood up and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve got to be going now. If you need someone to talk to, I’m always here.” 

Mumbo smiled. That’s how friendship should be.

Scar looked down at Jrumbot who was still loving all over Jellie. “Hey, cutiepie, I gotta take my cat back.”

Jrumbot looked appalled. “But she’s my kitty!!” 

Mumbo sighed. “Jrum, kiddo, you gotta give Jellie back.”

Jrumbot started to cry. Not real tears, but digital ones on his screen. “I want the kitty” He sounded very sad.

“Hey! I can get you a kitty that looks just like this one! Her name is Gellie! She belongs to your daddy!” Mumbo offered, rubbing his tired eyes.

“Kitty? All for me?” Jrumbot looked hopeful.

Mumbo nodded.

Jrumbot held up Jellie towards Scar. “Here’s your kitty back!”

Scar took Jellie in his arms and leaned down towards Jrumbot. “Thank you, Jrum!” 

Scar kissed the top of Jrumbot’s head, and the little baby gave out a giggle.

“I’ll see you later!” Scar gave Mumbo a wave and hopped off with his cat.

Mumbo stood up and pulled his kids up as well. 

“I love you four so much.” He smiled. “So so  _ so _ much.” 

“We love you too, Father!” Amelia hugged her dad.

“I wuv you more, Papa!” Jrumbot tackled his legs.

“Love you, Dad!” Circuit hugged Mumbo.

“I love you very much, Dad!” Grumbot patted the top of Mumbo’s head with his big metal finger.

Mumbo stayed silent for a moment. “I will never abandon you.” 

“And we will never abandon you, Dad.” Grumbot whistled a happy tune.

Mumbo smiled. It was all okay, wasn’t it.

Mumbo felt woozy and he became lightheaded. His tall body went slack as he passed out from exhaustion.

Amelia and Circuit caught him.

“We should let him sleep.” Circuit set the builder onto the floor. 

Mumbo really needed to rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> beep boop, short end notes bc I gotta go, but  
> Man  
> More characters!


	13. Imminent Doom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friendship is necessary

\- 3 DAYS AGO -

Xisuma took his bee suit out of the dryer. He put it on and it was still warm for a moment before the heat left the clothes. He ran a hand through his fluffy hair before putting on his gloves. He sighed and walked down the stairs. The netherrack fire was flickering in the living room, softly illuminating his sleeping friend. Xisuma smiled and went over to the door, picking up his helmet on the way out. It was still pouring.

The admin put his helmet on and took a deep breath through the filters before exiting his home. He locked the door behind him.

The bee man buzzed as he took out a rocket and launched himself into the air. He didn’t need an elytra. He already had a pair of wings.

* * *

Back at the home, Grian slept on the couch in front of the fire. It was a semi-peaceful sleep for the most part.

It seemed like the bigger changes always happened as Grian slept.

* * *

Xisuma flew through the rain back to his home. After a long day of work, he was ready to just sit and breathe without needing the helmet. 

He landed on the porch step and pulled out his keys. X took the yellow and black striped key and put it into the doorknob. 

The man unlocked the door and stepped inside, the house quiet other than the crackle of the fire.

X took off his helmet and shook out his hair. He set the helmet back on its pedestal by the door and went to go change out of his wet clothes. He once again threw the bee suit into the dryer and put on the shirt and shorts he had been wearing earlier that morning.

He hopped down the stairs and approached the couch to check on his birdie buddy.

“Grian?” X said, walking towards the sofa. He saw his friend in the same place as before, but-

Xisuma stopped in his tracks. He stared at the sleeping hermit in disbelief. 

Grian had changed, and it was much more obvious this time.

There was no sweater big enough to hide the fact that he was now 8 feet tall and kind of buff. His wings were full size now, and they were massive.

He looked peaceful, though. Xisuma debated if he should wake him up or not.

Xisuma was a bit freaked out, so he decided to wake him. He went over to his friend and crouched down so that his face was at Grian’s eye level. He looked more mature now.

X set his hand on Grian’s shoulder and shook him softly. “Uh, Grian-”

The hermit didn’t wake up, but he pushed Xisuma away in his sleep. “Mmm idontwannagetup” he mumbled, his voice deeper, and pulled the blanket up. His feet were now completely exposed.

Xisuma tried again. “Grian.” He shook him a bit harder this time.

“Nooo” Grian mumbled.

“Grian!” Xisuma gripped the man’s muscled shoulder. 

The bird opened his eyes sleepily. He sat up and put his face in his hands. “What is it?” he yawned.

Xisuma stood up. “Have you seen yourself lately?” 

Grian gave him a quizzical look. He looked a lot less childish now. “What do you-”. He stopped as he heard his own voice. “What-” 

He looked down at his hands, and jumped back as he saw the rest of himself.

“GAH!” He yelped as he threw the blanket aside and pulled his knees towards his chest. 

“I- What- I-” He frantically grabbed at the couch cushions, freaking out. Grian was breathing erratically and his wings were wrapped around his arms.

He looked at Xisuma, panic in his pretty purple eyes. “What the heck is happening-” He whimpered, looking on the verge of tears. 

Xisuma stepped towards the couch and sat on his knees in front of his newly-tall friend, who had his back against the arm rest, and his long legs to his chest.

He put his hands on his friend’s stiffened shoulders and gave Grian a comforting smile. “I don’t know, but I’ll help you figure this out, okay?” 

Grian nodded worriedly, but relaxed a bit as X gave him that smile. 

He was feeling a bit better, until Xisuma’s grip tightened and realization set in his eyes. “Oh no-”

“What is it?” Grian started to panic again.

“I think I-...Grian…” X looked at him sympathetically, for his friend would not like the news he was about to break. 

Xisuma let go of his shoulders and sat back down. “Grian.  _ Thunderbirds _ can change their size.”

There was a moment of silence as those words processed in G’s head. His eyes grew wide and he looked at Xisuma. “N-no.” 

X looked down. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry…”

“You can’t be serious-” Grian grabbed at his own arms as he started to hyperventilate.

“I don’t wanna be a bird, I just- I just wanna be me again- I wanna be short, I don’t care if I’m short, please, just- I don’t like being big, I hate it. I hate this. I hate birds. I hate myself. I wanna be small again-” Grian rambled on as he started to cry.

Xisuma watched in amazement as his friend freaked out. Grian started to shrink back to his ordinary size, his features returning to normal. 

But then he kept going.

Grian kept shrinking until he was now the size of a hummingbird. His voice was small and slighter higher than normal. His wings were proportionate to his tiny body and he looked quite adorable, even while panicking.

Xisuma spoke up. “Grian-”

His friend opened his eyes and looked up at the admin, who was huge compared to him now. 

“WHAT-” The hermit hopped up and saw that his pleads had come true. A bit too true.

Xisuma cupped the bird in his hands and gently held him up to his face. “It’s all going to be alright.” 

Grian looked into Xisuma’s eyes. He never noticed it before, but now that he was so close to his face, they seemed to glitter as well. The purple slightly faded in and out of different subtle tones, much like Prismarine. His freckles twinkled in the firelight and glowed as X gave Grian a comforting look. “╎ℸ ̣ ∴╎ꖎꖎ ᔑꖎꖎ ʖᒷ ᔑꖎ∷╎⊣⍑ℸ ̣ , ᒲ|| ↸ᒷᔑ∷ ⎓∷╎ᒷリ↸” He spoke the foreign language, and his eyes and freckles softly glowed brighter. They illuminated and shimmered, much like Grian’s wings.

Grian stood up in Xisuma soft, yet callused, hands and put his tiny palms on X’s cheek. The freckles gave off warmth as well. 

“Thank you-” Grian whispered, his anxiety not letting him speak up.

Xisuma heard him regardless and gave him a smile. “Did you understand what I said?”

Grian shook his head. “Well, no, but I’m guessing it was nice.” 

“I said, it’ll be alright.” X said with a polite laugh. He had a nice laugh. 

Grian stepped closer to Xisuma’s face and planted a tiny kiss on the end of his nose. The admin smiled sweetly.

“Could you teach me that language? It’s pretty.” Grian stepped back and sat down in X’s hands. He seemed to have calmed down.

Xisuma looked a tad surprised at the request. “Really?”

Grian nodded and wrapped himself in his wings.

“Alrighty then. I’ll teach you some later tonight.” Xisuma stood up, still holding Grian in his hands.    


“Would you like some tea?” he offered.

Grian nodded sleepily. Even though he had just woken up after sleeping the entire day, he still felt tired. He stretched his wings and fluttered up to Xisuma’s head. He sat in his soft hair and huddled there, like a bird would do. He was becoming more and more like one.

Xisuma chuckled and pulled out a bee-striped tea kettle.

He filled it with water and began to hum as he set it on the stove. He flicked on the burner and leaned against the counter as he waited for the water to boil.

“So, what is that language?” Grian peeked over Xisuma’s head and looked down at him from his hair.

Xisuma looked up at the tiny bird. “It’s my, uh, native language.”

Grian yawned. “Where are you from?” 

X stayed silent for a moment.

“The End.”

G paused at the answer. “You’re from...the End?”

Xisuma nodded. “I’m an Admin. It’s not just a title...it’s a race.” 

Grian sat back down in the fluff. “I-...I never knew that.” 

Xisuma shrugged. “Most people don’t.”

His hummingbird pal fluttered up from his head and flew in front of X’s face. Xisuma held out his arm for G to perch on.

Grian landed on the scarred arm and ruffled his feathers. “Do you have any family?”

Xisuma looked down at G. His eyes were misty and sad, despite his smile. 

“I did.” X paused. “Well-” he said in a David Tennant way. “I still do, even if he doesn’t want to admit we’re family.”

Grian waited for his friend to continue. 

“My family was my brother and our dad.” The void man smiled. “Ex kinda hated me sometimes since Dad would always listen to me. My plans usually involved much less arson.” He laughed as he reminisced about his past.

Xisuma went on to describe his dad. “He was pretty kickbutt. Y’know my green armour?”

Grian nodded. 

“That was my dad’s.” 

Grian nodded, and then paused. “Wait, I thought that was just the armour from that one game, y’know, Doom.”

Xisuma chuckled. “It’s not just a game.” 

Grian’s eyes went wide. “WAIT-”

Xisuma’s eyes twinkled with mischief. 

“YOUR DAD-”

X nodded, stifling a laugh.

“IS DOOMGUY?”

Xisuma smiled a bit sadly. “Well,  _ was _ Doomguy. His name was Flynn. I think. He had a few different names people called him. William was one of them. I always liked Flynn.” 

Grian looked down. “I-...I’m sorry.”

Xisuma put his finger under Grian’s chin and softly lifted his head up. “You don’t need to be sorry. It’s all fine.”

The kettle whistled. 

“Tea time.” Xisuma winked.

He set Grian down on the counter.

“I’ll try to change back.” The bird decided.

He closed his eyes and focused on growing bigger. He breathed in and out, trying to keep steady. He felt different.

He opened his eyes and saw he was standing on the kitchen island, normal size.

“You did it!” Xisuma grinned and poured Grian a cup.

“I...I did it.” Grian felt proud of himself and hopped off the counter.

“Wait, does this mean that you’re Doomguy now?”

Xisumavoid laughed. It felt nice to be called that. He loved his dad. 

“Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER  
> WAS GOING TO BE  
> SO ANGSTY
> 
> but it ended up being wholesome-ish, so that's fine  
> it's hard to write when you're sitting in the same room as your brothers
> 
> but jfdsjkfhdjkfhjkfhdjkfhdjkfhdkjfhkjdhfdjkfhd fun fact  
> apparently, it has been confirmed that Commander Keen is Doomguy's dad  
> Galactic was a language originally developed for the game, Commander Keen  
> Minecraft uses Galactic as its enchantment table language  
> Xisumavoid's normal skin is Doomguy  
> it's all connected omg-
> 
> also, Uncle Vega AU anybody?? :D


	14. Shocked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Now I am an arsonist, seven miles high.   
> Burning through the air I breathe. Thunder in the sky,  
> My engine zings, as it melts this pair of wings  
> That only I can see.
> 
> Touch the sun.  
> My eyes wide open, unbelieving.  
> Catch a breath, the only one who’s left is leaving.
> 
> Now I am an arsonist.”

Grian sat on the couch and sipped the tea. It was sweet with honey that Xisuma had farmed himself. His admin buddy made his way over to Grian and sat down on the cushion beside him.

“Are you doing alright?” X asked, blowing on his hot tea.

“I-...I’m doing better. Not great, but better.”

Xisuma nodded. “I figured.” He took a sip of the tea and smiled at the taste. 

Grian took another sip and stared at the fire in the fireplace. It was still raining outside, and now it was pretty late at night. 

The two sat there for a few minutes, saying nothing, and just drinking their tea.

Then Xisuma broke the silence. 

“I think I know why this is happening.”

Grian was caught off-guard. “W-what do you mean?” He looked over at X worriedly.

X set down his cup on a coaster and pointed at the long scar running down the side of Grian’s right shoulder and arm.

“That’s where the Thunderbird got you, right?” Xisuma knew he was right, but he still asked anyway.

“You were there.” Grian sighed with a nod. “But yeah…”

“I don’t know much about Thunderbirds, but it seems like you  _ are _ developing the attributes of one. The wings, the size-changing…I could be certain about my theory if you developed lighting powers of some sort-” Xisuma stopped talking and leaned towards Grian.

“Have you gotten lightning powers?” He asked, examining Grian’s scar.

Grian nervously scooted back a bit, and self-consciously shrunk down in his seat, literally.

“I-...no” He spoke in a high voice, looking up at the admin.

Xisuma sighed. “Hmm. Maybe we should test it.”

Grian willed himself back to his normal size. “And how would we do that?” 

X looked around the room. “I am not sure…”

There was a knock at the door, followed by the click of the door unlocking. Grian shrunk down again and hid, wondering why Xisuma wasn’t rushing to put on his helmet like he did when Mumbo came over. Xisuma stayed sitting. In fact, he didn’t even look over at the door to see who it was.

“Hey Alex.” Xisuma said, sort of smiling.

Grian was confused. None of the hermits were named Alex.

He fluttered up the back of the couch and peeked over the edge to see who had arrived. 

A tall man in red armour removed his helmet to reveal a face that was strikingly similar to Xisuma’s.

The man had white hair that was pulled into a small ponytail, and he had an x-shaped scar that crossed at the bridge of his nose. His eyes were purple, but a more red-violet than Xisuma’s. As the man approached, Grian could see that he also had purple freckles, and they were in the same position as X’s.

It was Evil Xisuma. Evil X, or EX, or short was Xisuma’s twin brother. Grian wasn’t scared of him, per say, but he didn’t want the Nether soldier to see him.

He dropped back down, still in his hummingbird state.

“Hey ‘Suma” Ex set his helmet down next to his brother’s cup of tea. “I came for food.”

Xisuma laughed. “‘Course you did. Don’t worry, bro, I got you your favourite.”

When X said this, his twin brother smiled, his eyes lighting up. “Strawberries?” 

He headed over to the fridge and opened it. Grian watched from the couch and saw Ex pull out a plastic container of fresh berries. He closed the fridge and walked back over. He gave his brother a hug, holding the container in one hand.

Xisuma hugged back.

Grian thought that Ex would leave now that he had obtained the food, but he was wrong. The red-suited man came over and sat  _ next _ to Grian.

He had seen him, even though he was trying to hide.

“Who’s your friend?” Ex asked, picking out a huge strawberry and taking a bite of it. 

“You don’t have to hide, G, it’s just my brother.” Xisuma reassured the tiny bird boy.

With a sigh, Grian attempted to return to his normal size, but he was distracted as he watched Evil X. He accidentally grew too big, and was now in his 8-foot tall state.

Ex choked on the strawberry. “Holy-” He stared at Grian in confusion and disbelief. “Grian?” 

Grian laughed awkwardly, his laugh richer and deeper than it normally was. “Yeah…”

Ex regained his composure. “I-...Sorry that surprised me. What  _ happened  _ to you?”

Grian tried to shrink back to his normal size, but it wasn’t working. He just pushed himself nervously into the back of the couch, trying to make his huge body as small as possible. His wings were in the way, and kept sticking out from behind his shoulders. “Uh, I-...I’m becoming a bird apparently.” He said with a shudder.

“Oh sweet.” Ex looked amused, but then immediately stopped when he saw Xisuma shake his head. “Oh, I mean, dang. That...sucks…” 

Xisuma rolled his eyes. 

“Well, what did you want me to say?” Ex looked at his brother, who was sitting on the other side of Grian.

“It’s fine, Alex.” Xisuma sighed.

Grian awkwardly leaned back more. Ex, or Alex as Xisuma called him, leaned over Grian’s legs towards his brother. “Well, I’m sorry, I didn’t know that he didn’t like it!” 

Xisuma pinched the bridge of his nose and looked very annoyed. “I said that it was fine.”

Alex leaned over more. Grian felt very much out of place with these two brother fighting. He tried to push himself further into the back cushion, but he ended up pushing onto his wing. He felt a slight crack.

He stifled a yelp.

It hurt like crazy

He made no noise and tried to hide his pain to let the brothers finish, but his anxious breathing and pained expression gave him away.

The twins stopped talking and looked at the bird man.

Alex sat back to give Grian some space. “Hey man, you alright?”

Grian leaned forward and extended the wing that was in pain. It looked a little crooked and bent. A sharp stab shot through the wing and down his back as he stretched it. Grian winched and leaned over, pulling up his knees to his face.

“Grian, are you hurt?” Xisuma sounded worried. He turned to his friend and started to examine the wing.

“Y-yeah, I just...pushed on it too hard.” Grian said in-between breaths.

Xisuma looked at Alex, who shoved another strawberry into his mouth, calyx and all. X mouthed the words, “Help me” and motioned towards the wing with his head, setting his hands on Grian’s arm and shoulder. G’s scar burned when the admin touched it, but he hid that too.

Alex looked at his brother and mouthed, “What am I supposed to do?”

Xisuma pointed to the staircase and mouthed, “Get the first-aid kit, dummy.”

Alex rolled his eyes and hopped off the couch. He went up the stairs to find the kit.

“Alex’s gonna help.” Xisuma spoke in a kind voice, which helped Grian. “While he’s gettting the medical supplies, can you tell me where it hurts?”

Grian nodded, his breathing still erratic as he pointed at the most crooked part of the wing.

Xisuma leaned towards it to examine it.

Grian was not a fan of this situation. He weakly ran his huge hand through his messy hair as he stayed hunched over. He was shaking and he could feel his heart beating too fast. All sound became muffled as he got lost in the sea of his own terrible thoughts. He was already awful at being whatever he was supposed to be. He had already damaged his wing by not being aware of it. 

His undamaged wing, his left one, stretched out and curved around Grian’s left shoulder like a shawl. 

Xisuma said something, but Grian couldn’t hear him.

He felt a sharp pain and it jolted him out of his thoughts. He yelped and jumped up, looking at Xisuma in shock. 

“Why would you do that?!” Grian asked frantically.

“I told you that I was going to see if it hurt when I touched it! Did you not hear me?”

Grian looked embarrassed. That must have been what Xisuma had said while he was lost in thought. He stepped back a bit, feeling very awkward and uncomfortable in his own tall body. 

Xisuma gave him a concerned look. “Grian, I-”

He was cut off as Alex hopped on down the stairs with a first-aid kit. “Alright, I got the-...woah.”

Alex trailed off as he saw Grian. He was  _ much _ taller than he expected.

Grian’s face turned red as Alex looked up and down his scarred torso and limbs. He did not want to be the centre of attention while he looked like this. 

He tried to move his wings in an attempt to hide himself, but he forgot the damage he had just done to the right one. As he moved it, more pain ran through the wing and down Grian’s spine.

He fell to his knees, on the verge of tears. Alex shook his head and vaulted over the couch, landing in front of the big hermit.

The red-doomsuited Nether man kneeled down and pulled out the kit. 

He took out a bottle full of a swirling ruby red liquid. He removed the cork with a satisfying “pop” and gently handed the bottle to Grian.

Grian looked down at the glass and took it in his large, shaky hands. He raised the bottle to his mouth and threw his head back as he downed the potion in a single swig. He passed the bottle back to Alex.

His wing instantly started to feel better. His hands stopped shaking so much, and his heart rate slowed.

“Th-thank you, Alex.” Grian said as he started to shrink back down to his normal size.

Ex still looked amused at that. Xisuma let out a sigh. “Yes, thank you, Alex.” He slid off the couch and sat next to his brother in front of Grian.

The netherrack behind him crackled and warmed up his wings. 

There was a moment of silence as Grian wiped his eyes with his arm.

“You want a cookie?” Xisuma tried to get the bird to smile.

Grian silently nodded, his eyelids feeling heavy. Why was he so tired? 

Alex looked at X with bright eyes. “I wanna cookie!” 

Xisuma grabbed the container of Mumbo’s cookies from next to the couch. He shook his head. “These are Gria-”

“He can have one.” Grian laughed as tears started to drip from his eyes and onto his pants. His nose sounded stuffed, and his eyes were a bit red.

Xisuma rolled his eyes, but gave an amused smile as Alex excitedly took a snickerdoodle and bit into it.

“Mmm!” Ex looked very happy.

Grian sniffed and chuckled as he took a cookie from the container. He looked at it and his smile disappeared. He thought about Mumbo, who seemed so worried for him. 

Grian shouldn’t have left without telling him. That was wrong of him, and he knew it.

“Hey, don’t cry!” Xisuma lifted Grian’s chin with his warm hand. He moved his hand onto Grian’s shoulder and gave him a smile.

Grian felt better for a moment, but his intrusive thoughts wouldn’t leave him.

_ I’m terrible. I’m absolutely awful. I’m rubbish and a piece of trash for abandoning my friend. _

As he thought those things, his eyes started to glow until they were completely white. In a split second, an electric charge shot through his nerves and throughout his entire body. It shot through Xisuma’s hand, and he instinctively pulled back his arm in pain. 

The static electricity in the air was high as jolts of lightning flicked off of Grian. His wings glowed, as well as his nervous system under his skin. 

The zaps got worse as his thoughts continued. He was too focused on his anxieties to realize what was happening.

_ I don’t even deserve to be here. Xisuma shoulda just let me fall. All I bring is trouble. All I am is trouble.  _

Xisuma grabbed his brother’s arm as Grian’s hands filled with energy. 

“Holy crap, what kind of bird is he?” Alex jumped up and out of the way as a bolt of electricity shot off from Grian.

Xisuma jumped the other direction as his brother. “A Thunderbird.” 

Alex looked shocked. “But those-”

“Are supposed to be myths, I know.” Xisuma said, trying to get close to his tranced friend.

“They’re not.” He took the risk and grabbed Grian’s hand.

It was as if he was shocked with a defibrillator. 

The jolt was intense, but he held on.

“Grian!” Xisuma spoke loudly. Grian was mumbling the thoughts that ran through his head. His tears were evaporating from the immense heat that was coursing through his entire body.

“Grian! Stop!” Xisuma sounded more panicked, and this time Grian heard him.

The thoughts stopped and the lightning died down. Grian’s eyes stopped glowing white and returned to normal as he took into account what had just happened. “‘Suma?” He mumbled, frightened at what he had just done.

Xisuma’s left hand was burned and he looked very frazzled. His hair was poofy and he seemed disoriented from the electricity that was sent through him.

Alex took a look at his brother and couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sorry, I know that this is supposed to be a serious situation, but you look ridiculous bro.”

“You’re not helping, Ex.” Xisuma turned his head to look at his twin.

Grian took Xisuma’s unburnt hand in his own. “It’s fine!” 

Xisuma looked back at Grian. “If you say so.”

No one knew what to say for a minute. Alex spoke up.

“Yeah I should  _ probably _ go.” He picked up his container of strawberries and, in doing so, saw the messages from Grumbot. He didn’t know who they were for, but from Grian’s flustered expression as Ex spotted the papers, he could guess who they belonged to. “Righty then. I hope you figure this out. See you later bro. Grian? It was cool to see you.” He hopped on over and picked up his helmet. Alex slipped it on and waltzed on over to the front door, picking up his set of keys from the podium.

He exited the house and locked the door behind him.

The house was silent now, aside from the crackle of the fire. Grian looked down at his clenched hand and opened it up. He was holding a crushed, black-charred cookie. It crumbled into ash as he moved his hand.

“Xisuma-” Grian looked scared.

X looked at his friend. 

“I don’t wanna be a bird.”

That simple sentence harbored so much pain. Xisuma put his unburnt hand on Grian’s cheek. 

“Grian, you will be alright.” Xisuma gave him a comforting look.

G didn’t believe X. 

“╎ ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ ||𝙹⚍, Grian.” X’s freckles and eyes glowed. Underneath the Big Dipper constellation on Xisuma’s check, a shooting star zipped across his face. 

Grian looked confused. 

“It means, I love you.” Xisuma smiled. “I’m not going to let you suffer. I’m going to stay by your side for as long as you need. You’re one of my closest friends, even if you don’t think so. Not everybody gets to see me without my helmet.” 

Grian chuckled as he started to cry again. His head hurt from sobbing so much, and he felt drained, emotionally and physically. His energy was sapped and he let fatigue take hold.

“╎ ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ ||𝙹⚍ too.” Grian laughed tiredly. As he spoke the End language, his own freckles and eyes glowed. His wings grew brighter and their shimmer looked more astronomical than just glittery. His scars gave off a faint light as well. 

Grian looked a little surprised, but he was honestly too tired to do anything. He laid his head down on X’s lap in front of him. 

Xisuma smiled and stroked G’s hair as Grian shrunk himself. X picked up the hummingbird in his hands, ignoring the pain in his burned one.

He held the bird close as he sat on the floor against the front of the couch. He extended his legs towards the fire. He cupped his hands and held G against his chest as he too started to drift off.

Xisuma never slept.

But this time, he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hdjfhds it’s been a few days, but they have been eventful  
> Thank you Pho, for the idea of Ex  
> After I posted chapter 13, I made a discord group chat where I literally spoiled all of FW and we all brainstormed ideas, which lead to us accidentally creating an AU where Iskall is Doomguy?? Legit, the Dadskall AU is so wholesome and it’s the reason why Ex is called Alex in this AU too.  
> I’m also working on an animation using the song that I quoted in the chapter summary.  
> It is going well, I like to think.  
> Oh man, the Dadskall chat knows how angsty FW is gonna get, but it’s still gonna hurt them so much >:D


	15. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'll believe it all. There's nothing I won't understand.  
> I'll believe it all. I won't let go of your hand."

* * *

_ Grian fell through the air. The wind resistance was getting increasingly stronger as he watched his beaten and battered friend be taken away by the massive black bird. Grian tried to call out his name, but his mouth only let out cries. _

_ He turned to look at the ground that was getting closer and closer. He braced for impact, but he knew that this was his end. _

_ It was inevitable. A fall from the height he was at meant death. _

_ He hit something. _

_ It wasn’t hard, and it didn’t hurt. _

_ He wasn’t dead. _

_ Unless this is what death felt like.  _

_ He felt wind rushing on his face from the side. _

_ His eyes were closed but he could feel strong arms holding him as he was rushed through the air. _

_ Did the bird get him too? _

_ Grian opened his eyes and saw his hero. _

_ A man in green armour that resembled that of Doomguy’s from the video game Doom was holding him tightly as they zipped down safely. _

_ The man had a pair of angel-like wings. They were purple and seemed to shimmer with strange runic symbols.  _

_ He landed softly on the jungle floor and set Grian down. _

_ Grian looked up at the man with wide eyes and a dropped jaw.  _

_ “You-...you saved me! You-” Grian cried out in pain and his hand grabbed at his right shoulder. A long, deep gash ran down his upper arm and slightly past his elbow. It burned like acid when he touched it. He recoiled and cried in agony as he looked at his blood-covered hand. His sweater was torn and ripped, and it was a much darker crimson at the site of the wound. _

_ “Hey! Don’t move! You’ll make it worse!” The man crouched down in front of the bleeding man. He had an English accent, but it was different from Grian’s. He must have been from a different region. _

_ Grian tried to stay still as the masked man pulled out a bottle of swirling ruby red liquid. It sparkled and shimmered underneath the light that shone through the canopy of leaves overhead. _

_ The man uncorked the vial and lifted Grian’s head to allow the pained Brit to drink it. _

_ The pain in his arm lessened. _

_ It did not go away. _

_ It should have gone away. _

_ “Does it feel better?” The man asked, putting the empty vial away and pulling out gauze. _

_ Grian nodded slightly. “It-...It still burns...a lot-” He spoke slowly and in between his winces of pain. _

_ The man looked up at the sky. _

_ “You got attacked by what most people think is a mythical creature.” He told G. _

_ He looked back down at the wound. “I’m going to take off your sweater, okay? If it hurts too much, just tell me.” _

_ The man began to carefully remove Grian’s ruined sweater. G flinched when he touched the wound. The man paused for a moment, and then continued. _

_ He finished removing the jumper and set it down next to Grian. _

_ The damage was much more obvious now. _

_ His right arm was covered in blood and it started to get on his white shirt. _

_ The man started to clean out the wound. Grian wailed in agony at the immense sting. The man continued his job. _

_ When he was finished with that, the man started to wrap gauze around the gash. _

_ It still hurt, but it at least felt better. _

_ “Alrighty, that’s all done.” The man removed his blood-covered gloves. He put his hands on either side of his helmet and slowly removed it to reveal the identity of who was underneath. _

_ But before Grian could see, a sharp pain ran through his entire body. _

* * *

“Ah!” The little bird jumped up in surprise. He felt sore and overworked, but he had been feeling that way for days now. He looked around and realized he was standing in Xisuma’s hands. 

Grian looked up at X’s head, which was leaned back against the couch cushion.

He was asleep.

“That’s...strange.” Grian mumbled to himself and climbed out of the admin’s soft hands. He pulled himself up onto the couch cushion and sat facing X’s sleeping face. His freckles twinkled in the firelight. He looked peaceful.

Grian stood up and scooted away from X. He willed himself back to his normal size and sighed as he stepped off the couch cushion. He leaned down and picked up Xisuma, not struggling as much as he once would have, and set him down on the couch. He draped the blanket that was at the end of the sofa over the sleeping soldier.

Grian looked at the container of cookies by the side of the couch. He picked up a snickerdoodle from it and took a bite before he could have a chance to feel bad.

It was still soft, and the amount of cinnamon was perfect.

He gave a contented sigh as he made his way over to the kitchen. 

He glanced at the digital clock to get the time, but blinked in surprise at the date instead. According to it, Grian and Xisuma had slept for almost two full days. 

_ Makes sense _ , Grian thought.  _ Xisuma rarely ever sleeps, and I was exhausted. _

Grian finished the cookie and sat on the kitchen island, listening to the rain outside. He thought about calling Mumbo, but…

It would be better if he saw him in person, right? 

He better wait until morning. It was early, and the sun was barely rising.

It had been three days since Grian had spoken to his friend. But that was okay. Grian needed that time to heal… 

At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.

Grian hopped off the counter and concentrated for a moment. When he opened his eyes again, he was 8 feet tall.

He could use this time to try and feel comfortable in his new forms.

G opened his massive wings and whimpered in protest at the sight of them.

He tensed his shoulder and flexed the wings. It felt all too natural. 

He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the dark window and was taken aback by his more mature features. 

Grian went to the window and leaned in to examine his face. He looked older and more grown. He put his hand to his chin where a bit of facial hair was and he kind of smiled. 

Even if he hated how awkward he felt, he liked that he looked more rugged and mature.

He put his hand over his shoulder and felt the feathers on his wings. Oh, how he despised them.

He was busy staring at his reflection when Xisuma sleepily walked in. His hair was an absolute mess. 

“Hey Grian.” He yawned and sat down on one of the chairs at the kitchen island.

Grian jumped back in surprise, which made X laugh.

“Whoopsie, didn’t mean to startle you.” 

Grian awkwardly laughed. “No, it’s fine.” 

Xisuma tiredly looked up at Grian, who was looking at his big hands in amazement. His friend still harbored a childlike wonder in his expression, even behind his pain and self-loathing.

“How does being that tall feel?” X asked, resting his head on his arms.

Grian shrugged. “Weird. Strange….cool?” 

Xisuma smiled at that last bit. Grian seemed to be slowly coming to terms with himself.

“It is pretty cool.” X replied.

There was a bit more silence as Grian made his way over to Xisuma and sat in the chair next to him. The chair was strong and supported his weight.

Grian spread his wings and stretched them, sighing in relief. He smiled and wrapped a wing around his tired buddy. 

Xisuma chuckled and sat up. 

“You ready to go back?”

Grian thought for a moment and shook his head. “I wanna wait until this rain stops. Maybe my mood will improve when it’s not so cloudy and dismal, y’know?”

Xisuma nodded. “I can teach you more galactic now, if you’d like.”

Grian nodded silently and pulled his friend in closer next to him with his wing. Xisuma put his arm around Grian’s back and returned the sort of sidehug that the bird was giving him.

Grian didn’t flinch or falter at the hug.

It felt fine.

He felt okay.

* * *

For the next few hours, Xisuma taught Grian various words and such in his native language.

The kitchen was lit up by the glow coming from the two of them as they spoke the foreign words.

“ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ∷ᔑ╎リ” Grian said pausing. “╎ℸ ̣ 'ᓭ ᓭℸ ̣ 𝙹!¡!¡ᒷ↸”

Xisuma looked up at G and nodded. “You’re right. Also, great job! You’re doing really well!”

Grian hid part of his face behind his massive hand in embarrassment. “Thanks bro.” He said with a deep laugh.

Grian stood up and stretched for a second. Xisuma stood up as well.

“I-...I think I should go back.” He shrunk back down to his normal size.

Xisuma gave him a nod.

Grian felt confident until he remembered his wings. They were fully grown now, and he would not be able to hide them under normal clothes.

Xisuma saw his troubled expression and offered a solution. “I have a cloak you could use to cover your wings.” 

Grian looked up. “Alright.” 

Xisuma went upstairs and came back with a purple cloak and draped it around Grian’s shoulders. It pinned in the middle with a strange square emblem. It perfectly hid his wings, and there was little to no discomfort.

It felt as natural as the wings.

“Thank you.” Grian smiled. 

“Of course.” Xisuma returned the smile. He held his burned hand in his unburned one.

Grian noticed him doing this and he looked embarrassed and ashamed. “I’m sorry.” He whispered.

Xisuma looked up. “Huh? Oh, Grian.” He gave his friend a comforting smile. “It’s alright. You weren’t in control.”

Grian felt a bit better.

Xisuma went to the living room and picked up the notes and cookie container. He set the notes in the container and secured the lid. He brought it back and handed it to Grian.

Grian took the container and hugged it close. The two made their way over to the front door.

Grian opened it and looked behind him at his friend. “Thank you-...I know I already said that but...you’ve done a lot for me. ╎ ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ ||𝙹⚍, ᒲ|| ↸ᒷᔑ∷ ⎓∷╎ᒷリ↸.”

Xisuma beamed with happiness when his friend spoke his language. “ᔑリ||ℸ ̣ ⍑╎リ⊣ ⎓𝙹∷ ||𝙹⚍. ╎ ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ᔑᓭ ∴ᒷꖎꖎ.”

Grian nodded and equipped his elytra. He pulled out a rocket and launched himself into the clearing sky.

Xisuma watched his friend zip off. He turned around and closed the door.

* * *

Grian flew through the sky on his elytra. His wings kept fidgeting underneath the cloak and elytra, yearning to be the flight device in control. He tried to keep his wings shut, but they kept fighting to be open. He stumbled through the air and looked ridiculous.

Finally, his wings shot open and his elytra broke off. He panicked, but was able to fly low until he reached Mumbo’s base.

He landed softly on the grass. The rain soaked ground was squishy and soft underneath his bare feet. The air was cool and the clouds were clearing out of the sky.

“Mumbo?” Grian poked his head inside the redstone man’s base.

No response.

Grian went inside and peeked into various rooms. “Mumbo?”

The Englishman was nowhere to be found.

Grian clutched the container to his chest and ran around the base, looking for his friend. “Mumbo?” He called out.

Silence.

Grian looked up at the pillars, his birdsight allowing him to see that no one was up there. 

“Mumbo!” He called out, more urgently this time.

He started to feel panicky. Mumbo hated him, right? He was avoiding him. Ignoring him. He was-

“Grian?”

Grian turned around. Standing there was his friend Scar, who was dressed sort of like Willy Wonka. 

“Scar!” Grian smiled, but still felt worried that it wasn’t Mumbo.

Scar looked at his friend. Grian was shirtless and covered in scars. He was holding a box of cookies to his chest, and he wore a dark purple cloak. Scar could see shimmery feathers poking out from beneath the fabric. Grian also wore no shoes.

“Are you looking for Mumbo?” He asked, holding Jellie in his arms.

Grian nodded frantically. 

“Well alright then. He’s at his mayoral campaign building with his children.” Scar answered.

Grian looked confused. “Children? Like, more than one?”

“Four, to be exact”

Grian blinked in surprise. Scar chuckled. “That’s how I felt too…” He paused. “He’s waiting for you.”

The birdman felt a surge of relief at this news. “Well, I better go meet up with him.”

Scar nodded. “I’ll see you later then?”

Grian nodded as well. He took off into the jungle and flew up when he was out of Scar’s sight.

He zipped through the air gracefully until he could see the mustache-shaped building on the sea.

He landed like a superhero on the platform adjacent to it, in front of his giant mayoral robot. When he looked up, he saw Mumbo sitting with his back facing Grian, surrounded by three new robots.

His was still in his landing position, but he called out, “Mumbo?”

Mumbo raised his head and turned around.

Gosh, he was a hot mess.

His hair was messy and his face was covered in machine grease and redstone. You could barely see his own freckles under the grime. It was obvious that the man had not showered, shaved, or even changed his clothes in a few days. His dress shirt was wrinkled and dirty, stained with redstone and even a few bits of blood. His sleeves were rolled down, but were unbuttoned. His tie was untied and hung unevenly around his neck. His shirt had a few unbuttoned buttons at the top. Mumbo’s eyes grew wide and he jumped up. “Grian!” He exclaimed as he ran over to his crouched friend and tackled him into a hug.

He squeezed Grian tightly, getting his mess all over him. “I’m so glad you’re okay and not dead!” Mumbo cried happily. 

Grian had trouble breathing while he was being crushed in the hug. “I...will be dead...if you don’t stop squishing me!” He joked, trying to breathe.

Mumbo let go but stayed hunched over his friend. “S-sorry! I just missed you!” He lifted a shaky, band-aid covered hand to Grian’s cheek and smiled. His eyes had a crazed look, and it didn’t seem like he had slept for a couple of days either. 

Grian pushed Mumbo back a bit slightly so he could sit up. Mumbo sat back and gave Grian a little space.

Grian observed his friend. Mumbo was looking around anxiously, and he seemed very unstable.

“Mumbo, what happened to you?”

Mumbo stopped jitterting and looked at Grian. “I’ve been building!” He held up a very shaky hand as he avoided the question. “You wanna see our kids?”

“ _ Our _ kids?” Grian felt apprehensive as Mumbo jumped up, pulling Grian up as well. His cloak covered his wings, so at least Mumbo hadn’t said anything about that yet.

He pulled his short friend over to the group of droids. “Kids!”

The bots looked when their father called. The tiniest robot set down the cat he was holding. Grian recognized his cat, and was relieved that Mumbo had taken care of her in his absence. The tiny bot ran over to Grian and hugged his legs. “Daddy! You’re home!”   
Grian felt his face turn red. He awkwardly looked at Mumbo, who’s face was beaming. He didn’t look embarrassed. He looked proud.

“I-...I’m your dad?” Grian bit his lip. 

The little bot looked up. “Yeah! I’m Jwumbot!” 

Grian realized that this little boy was the shop that he had started building before the bird incident. “I-...Mumbo-...I-” Grian grabbed his friend’s arm nervously. 

Mumbo looked at his flustered buddy with a loving smile. “Isn’t our baby boy the sweetest?” 

Grian let out a startled chirp and hid his face in his face. He crouched onto the ground and hid his embarrassment behind his knees. 

Jrumbot tittered and wiggled his way underneath Grian’s arms and sat in his lap. “Daddy! I love you.”

Grian stared at his baby boy and felt pride, as well as abashment. Jrumbot gave him a hug, causing Grian to coo like a pigeon in surprise.

Mumbo laughed and crouched down, hugging his friend from behind. Grian kept trying to speak, but in his flustered state, he could only chirp and coo like various types of birds.

“Hi Dad!” 

Grian looked up at the voice. The mayoral bot waved and smiled. “You can talk now?” He managed to get out without tweeting

Grumbot did a thumbs-up. “Yup! I’m so glad you’re home, Dad! I missed you a lot!”

Grian trilled happily. He couldn’t help but start laughing. He was a dad now, and he couldn’t do anything about it. He might as well just accept it. 

The final two robots stepped over to the hug pile and gave G a smile. “‘Ello Mr. Grian!” The girl bot waved. “I’m Amelia!”

“And I’m Circuit!” The twin boy bot waved as well. 

Grian paused and looked at Mumbo, who was still hugging him. He seemed very,  _ very _ tired. “Did you build them by yourself?”

Mumbo nodded sleepily and squeezed Grian tightly before letting go. “Yup!” He yawned.

“So I’m not your dad then-” Grian looked at the twins.

They shook their heads, and Grian felt both relieved and disappointed. He accidentally let out a sad coo.

Amelia looked at her brother. “But you can be if you want! It’ll make more sense for all four of us to have you as our dad!”

Circuit nodded. “Yeah! We’ll be a more complete family!”

Grian looked up at Mumbo who had his arm around Grian’s shoulder. He didn’t know what to say. “C-can I-”

Mumbo cut him off. “Yes!” He looked extremely happy.

Grian looked back at the twins. “Alrighty then...I guess I can be your other dad.” His face turned red again.

“Yay!” Circuit smiled and got to his knees, hugging his new dad. Amelia smiled and did the same.

Mumbo hugged the four of them again and Grumbot cupped his family in his robotic hands, giving the best hug he could. 

Grian felt...happy.

He felt loved and accepted underneath the touch of his new metal children and their father. 

He was happy.

For only a few moments. 

Mumbo hugged him a bit too tight and pushed his wing into an uncomfortable position. Grian let out a distressed chirp, causing the robots to release their hug. Mumbo jumped back in fear that he hurt his friend.

Grian tugged at his cloak and pulled it off. 

Mumbo already knew about the wings, and it didn’t really matter if the robots knew too.

He stretched his wings and sighed. 

Jrumbot, who was still in Grian’s lap, gasped. “Daddy’s a pwetty angel!”

Grian looked down at his little boy in wonder. He had called him, not a bird, but an angel. Grian smiled.

His smile disappeared as he nervously looked at Mumbo, who stared at the wings in awe. Grian blushed under his gaze. The messy man blinked and stood up, still visibly twitching. Grian set Jrum down and stood up as well, leaving the cloak on the ground.

“Mumbo, can I-...Can I talk to you? Alone?” Grian grabbed Mumbo’s arm. Mumbo looked down at the bird and looked confused, but nodded. 

“Alright?” 

Grian pulled Mumbo across the platform and behind the building. He stood facing his friend, feeling very uncomfortable.

“Is everything okay?” Mumbo asked, the crazed look returning to his eyes.

Grian’s hands shook as he took Mumbo’s dirty hands in his own. “Cover your eyes, I need to do something.”

Mumbo laughed. “What are you gonna kiss me or something?” he joked.

Grian’s face flushed. “N-no! Just-...just do it!”

Mumbo shrugged and covered his eyes.

Grian sighed and willed himself to his bigger form.

He waited for a second, and then spoke up. “You can look now.”

Mumbo was confused as he uncovered his eyes. “Grian, why did your voice sound-” 

He stopped talking. His eyes grew wide as Grian now towered over him.

Mumbo’s jaw dropped upon seeing his friend’s new big body. “What?”

That’s all Mumbo could manage to say.

“Mumbo, I-” Grian choked back tears. He looked frantic and scared. “I’m turning into a bird.” 

Mumbo laughed nervously. “No you’re not, haha, you’re fine!” His words slurred together from the fatigue.

“No, dude, you don't get it, I'm turning into a bird. A  _ Thunderbird _ specifically. They can change their size. They can shock stuff. I can do those things. I-...I was attacked by one a few years ago.”

Mumbo suddenly took on a more alert expression. “What?” 

“I don’t wanna talk about it right now, but...yes…”

Mumbo looked at his friend, who stared at the ground in shame. He hastily put his arms around the bird’s torso, feeling like a child hugging their father.

Grian recoiled at the hug, but calmed down quickly. He fell to his knees, and Mumbo hugged him around his neck. Grian hugged back.

Grian cried onto Mumbo’s dirty arm, not caring about the redstone getting all over him. He wrapped his wings around the hug, desperate for aff ection. He held his friend close. 

“╎ ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ ||𝙹⚍” Grian sniffed. 

Mumbo, still hugging the bird, replied. “What?”

Grian laughed, allowing his tears to fall. “N-nothing….”

Mumbo shrugged and hugged tighter. “I love you too, bro.” He said with a smile. 

Grian’s shoulders dropped and he pulled Mumbo away from his chest. “You...understood me?”

Mumbo laughed tiredly. “Grian, dude, I’m fluent in many useless languages.”

Grian just stared in surprise. 

Mumbo ran a hand through his tangled hair. “╎ ᒲᒷᔑリ, ∴⍑𝙹 ∴𝙹⚍ꖎ↸ リᒷᒷ↸ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ᓭ!¡ᒷᔑꖌ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ↸ᒷᔑ↸ ꖎᔑリ⊣⚍ᔑ⊣ᒷ 𝙹⎓ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ∴ᔑℸ ̣ ᓵ⍑ᒷ∷ᓭ ᔑリ||∴ᔑ||ᓭ?”

When the redstoner spoke the End language, his freckles glowed from beneath the grime on his face. His eyes twinkled and his hair seemed to shimmer a little. 

Mumbo was about to say something again, but his eyelids fell closed. 

He collapsed into a tired heap in Grian’s giant arms. 

Grian laughed and brought his sleeping buddy inside the Jrumbot Shop, where an unused bed was set up next to Mumbo’s workspace.

Grian gently set Mumbo onto the bed and tucked the filthy father in. 

He looked at him for a moment and then shrunk himself down to hummingbird size. 

He fluttered up to Mumbo’s arms and rested underneath them, so that Mumbo would be hugging him. He snuggled in the crook of his friend's dirty arms and cooed contently.

Grian had hated hugs for so long, but now he needed them very much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sat down to write this chapter and oh my gosh  
> since i was writing it on the computer and not on my tablet like i normally do, i was more easily able to look up synonyms  
> so hopefully there's some variety in the wording haha
> 
> dude, this chapter made me soft man  
> like, hjdhfrjhrjkghkj  
> ahHHh


	16. New Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s always that one person who can make you smile, even when you’re sad.

Mumbo was awoken by something poking his face. He pushed whatever it was away and rolled over. He heard loud chirps as he did so. Something hopped on his arm and started poking his face again. 

He opened one of his eyes. “What is it…” he mumbled, still half asleep.

Whatever is was chirped very loudly right into his ear. 

Mumbo groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. “What the heck-”

He turned his head to see what was on his shoulder. 

It was his friend, but...tiny. 

He  _ did _ say he could change his size.

“Grian?” Mumbo blinked a few times and moved his hand to pick up the winged creature. He gently took him in his hand and held him in front of him.

Grian trilled and hopped up and down in Mumbo’s hand.

“I’m guessing it’s time to get up?” Mumbo chuckled.

Grian nodded and fluttered out of his palm. He flew to the middle of the room and changed size midair to his normal form.

He landed on the ground and made his way over to Mumbo. He grabbed the tired man’s hand and pulled him up and out of bed. 

“C’mon sleepyhead, you gotta shower and change your clothes sometime.” Grian laughed.

Mumbo rolled his eyes, but complied. He got up and winced in pain. He was very sore. His arms ached from the nonstop building he had been doing.

“You good bro?” Grian looked at Mumbo, and stepped forwards towards him. His tall friend shrugged. 

“Yeah, I’m okay, I-” Mumbo was cut off by Grian hugging him tightly around the waist. “Oh?”

Grian hugged his friend for a moment and then let go. He too was covered in motor oil and redstone. “I guess we both need a shower.” He laughed again and pulled Mumbo out of the shop.

Mumbo was surprised by how Grian was acting. Grian never  _ gave _ hugs.

“Alrighty Mumbo! I can fly us back to our bases and we can get cleaned up and meet over at my mansion!” Grian seemed to already have a plan.

His wings shimmered in the morning sunlight. His messy hair had a few feathers in it, and he had freckles now. That was new.

“That sounds good.” Mumbo nodded.

Grian smiled wide and, in a quick moment, was suddenly 8 feet tall. Before Mumbo could do anything, Grian picked up his friend, bridal style, and launched into the air. 

The Redstoner gasped in surprise as his big buddy flew through the air. Mumbo didn’t want to fall, so he put his arms around Grian and held on. They zipped through the sky faster than any rocket could propel an elytra, and they were at their bases in no time.

Grian lowered himself down in front of Mumbo’s base and set his feet on the ground. Mumbo released his tight grip and slowly hopped out of his friend’s huge arms. He turned to look at Grian, who gave him a dorky grin before running off to his own base, shrinking back to his normal size on the way.

Mumbo couldn’t help but laugh at his gremlin of a buddy. He entered his base and went to his room. He pulled out a fresh set of clothes, but looked at the dress pants with hesitation. He put that set away and pulled out something more casual. 

A pair of blue jeans and a belt. He nodded and spotted something on his bed. There was a t-shirt folded neatly with an index card laying on it. Mumbo picked up the card and read what it said.

“Hey Mumbo! Scar said you haven’t been doing too well, so I wanted to make something for you and Grian to cheer you up! -Bdubs”

Mumbo didn’t pick up the white shirt with his messy hands. He decided to look at it  _ after _ his hands were clean. 

He took a towel instead and headed to the bathroom to fix the damage he had put upon himself

Mumbo walked out of the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, and it was starting to show, but he didn’t have time to do that now. He shrugged and went back into his bedroom to check out the shirt. 

The tall Englishman sat down on his bed, the towel still around his waist. He picked up the shirt and held it up in front of him.

Bdubs had printed the “Mumbo for Mayor” poster design on a set of T-shirts.

Mumbo smiled and proceeded to get dressed in the shirt and blue jeans. He looked around his room for a pair of clean shoes, but the only ones he could find were an old pair of red high tops. He put those on and smiled at the familiar feel of them.

He quickly rubbed a towel over his hair and face to dry it off and then pulled a brush through his now-clean hair. He winked at himself in the mirror, even though he looked rather silly and he rushed out of his base, taking the extra t-shirt with him on the way. 

He skipped on over to the mansion and sat on the steps, waiting for his friend to come outside.

  
  


Grian looked at himself in the mirror. He looked at his wings and sighed. 

The bird shook his head and took a shower. It was quite awkward with his wings in the way, and he wasn’t used to how big they were. He slipped and fell over more than once. 

After a few mishaps, Grian stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist. He stepped into his bedroom and shook out his wings, flinging water droplets around like a wet dog.

He put on a pair of pants and went to grab his shirt and sweater, but stopped. He stood frozen in front of the open closet door, staring at the jumpers hanging inside. His wings raised slightly, and he looked down. 

“I can’t.” He laughed to himself. 

Grian ended up just putting on his socks and shoes before sitting on his bed for a few minutes. 

He put his head in his hands.

“Ugh, they’re all gonna know. No way I can hide this.” He groaned.

Grian suddenly remembered his friend, who was probably waiting for him. He felt a rush of happiness as he jumped up. His wings flapped with joy.

“Oi! Don’t do that!” He said to himself as he exited his room. He jumped from the banister and glided down to the first floor.

He landed painlessly and walked out the front door, locking it behind him.

At the bottom of the stairs sat Mumbo.

Grian rushed down the steps and sat next to his friend.

“Look at you! You look….nice” Grian started to say until he actually saw his friend.

Sure, he was pretty, but his fashion sense was kind of strange. 

Mumbo was wearing a t-shirt with Grian’s poster design on it. 

He was also wearing blue jeans and old high tops, which was out of place for the fancy man.

“You...didn’t shave.” Grian laughed a little. Mumbo rolled his eyes, but returned the laugh.

“I didn’t think I had time. If I had known you were going to take ages, I would have.” The amber-eyed man smiled. He handed something to Grian.

The bird looked down at it and saw that it was a t-shirt that matched Mumbo’s. He smiled, but then tensed his shoulders as he remembered his wings. 

“I...can’t wear shirts in my current state-” Grian looked away, once again embarrassed of himself.

Mumbo looked at the wings, and then back down to Grian’s face. “I-...I’m sorry mate! That didn’t click in my head.” He nervously chuckled.

Grian glanced up at his friend, who sat back in surprise.

“What?”

“Your eyes...I’m pretty sure they were blue before.” 

Grian smiled slightly. “Yeahhh that’s just one of the many changes that has happened to me.”

Mumbo’s surprise turned into joy as he began to laugh. 

Grian felt his face turn red and he looked down.

“No! No! I’m not-...I-...haHA” Mumbo started to say as he laughed.

The bird felt ashamed of himself.

Mumbo stopped laughing and took Grian’s hand. “Bro, I-...I wasn’t laughing at you! I just...thought of something.”

Grian looked up at Mumbo. 

“When you said you were ‘going through changes’...does that mean that this is just bird puberty?”

The winged man’s face grew hot as he punched his buddy in the arm. “No!” 

He couldn’t help but laugh as well. Mumbo rubbed his arm where Grian had punched him. “Dang that hurt.” He joked.

Grian’s expression turned serious. “I...I hurt you?” He looked panicked and worried.

“No! I was...just kidding.” Mumbo sighed and stood up.

Grian stood up as well, not replying.

The two stood there for a moment before Mumbo asked, “So when will I get to ride in your arms again through the sky?”

Grian chuckled and willed himself into his bigger form. “I mean, right now, if you’re ready.” He held the t-shirt in one of his giant hands, but held his arms open for Mumbo.

Mumbo grinned and hopped into the bird’s strong arms. He looked excited, and Grian couldn’t help but smiled. The mustachioed man sat up in his arms and wrapped his own around Grian’s neck and held on.

Grian held him tightly as he launched himself into the sky.

This was dangerous.

He was in broad daylight.

But if he flew quickly, he could get to the platform without being seen.

As Grian flapped his wings, Mumbo looked around the sky and laughed with joy. “Oh! This is incredible!” He exclaimed and turned his attention to the flyers face. The sun caused Grian’s eyes to twinkle and the wind swept his fringe back. 

Mumbo felt his face turn red when Grian glanced back and winked with a smile. 

Grian swooped down in front of the platform and set Mumbo down.

Jrumbot was the first to say something. 

He zipped on over to his parents and looked amazed. “Daddy’s not just an angel! He’s a supahewo too!” 

Grian let out a flustered warble as he crouched down in front of Jrumbot.

“I’m a superhero?” 

Jrumbot nodded.

Grian smiled. “Not quite, but-”

“That’s a great idea!” Mumbo exclaimed.

Grian turned to look at his friend. “What is?”

“You could be a superhero! I mean, look at you! You’ve already got the body for it, and you’ve already saved me!” Mumbo held Grian’s big hands in his own with excitement.

His enthusiasm was a bit contagious.

“No…I couldn’t.” Grian glanced away.

Mumbo squeezed G’s hands. “Well, it’ll help build your confidence! You could give purpose to your wings.”

Grian pulled his hands back and held his arms against his chest. “I-...I don’t wanna mess up and hurt someone.”

Mumbo looked confused, but then stepped closer to Grian. “I’ve never seen you like this before.”

Grian chuckled. “Well, I didn’t know I could be eight feet tall either until a few days ago.”

“No, no, I mean...I’ve never seen you afraid of failing. You’ve always ran into things at full force. You’re usually the one trying to convince us.” Mumbo started to explain. “I mean, the civil war? Dragon Bros? This election?

Grian rubbed his neck with his hand. “Those...are different. Those are for fun, and...well...this isn’t fun.” He awkwardly shifted his weight, covering his arms with his wings.

Mumbo was about to protest when Jrumbot spoke up. 

“So you’re not a supahewo?”

Grian faltered. “N-no! I-” He crouched back down. “Well, I-...uh…” Grian couldn’t stand hearing this tiny bot sound so disappointed. “Baby, I...Do you want me to be?”

Jrumbot nodded slowly. Grian sighed. “I can’t save people if I don’t get a few things off of my chest first.” 

He picked his baby boy up and held him in his arms. He kissed his screen while he thought for a moment. 

Jrumbot beeped happily and sang a familiar shopkeeper’s theme. Grian paused and looked at his kid. He chuckled at the nostalgic tune and looked over at Mumbo. 

“I know I promised I would explain everything to you a few days ago, but...I can do that tonight, alrighty bro?”

Mumbo smiled understandingly. “Well, what would you like to do in the meantime?”

Grian surveyed the other robots, who were all watching from the other side of the platform. “I wanna get to know our kids.” He decided.

The redstone man took Grian’s free hand and pulled him over to the bots.

“Family time!” He laughed and squeezed Grian’s hand. 

“Famawee time!” Jrumbot giggled and hopped out of Grian’s arms. He skipped on over to Amelia and sat in her lap, pulling Gellie the cat into his arms from her sleeping place. Grian remained standing there for a moment, holding Mumbo’s hand tightly. 

His partner leaned his head against Grian’s arm and asked his kids, “Who would like to hear about the time where your father was a hippie?”

Grian laughed at the question and sat down in front of the robots. Mumbo sat down as well, and Grian pulled him onto his lap. 

“He can tell that story, and I can tell the Charrot story about your Papa and your Uncle Iskall.” Grian smiled brightly.

The robots looked excited, and just plain happy to be with their parents.

It was turning out to be a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fdjfhdjfhadskj serotonin go brrrr
> 
> Dude,,,,, the dadskall chat knows what’s gonna happen and I’M REALLY EXCITED AHHHH  
> I have a drawing that i can’t post yet bc it’s spoilers, but they’ve seen it and hsdfudfhjd :DDDDD
> 
> This chapter makes me happy and i am in a good mood


	17. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Won’t you stay alive? I’ll take you on a ride.   
> I will make you believe you are lovely”

Grian hugged Mumbo tightly as they both went back and forth, telling their kids various stories about the other person. 

The hours passed, and after a while, the two had spent the entire day talking with their robot children (with breaks for food, of course).

As the sun set, Grian got quieter. He had promised that he would tell Mumbo everything now, but he was starting to regret it.

Mumbo noticed his friend was talking less and less. He looked up at him and put a hand on Grian’s cheek. “Everything alright?”

The bird nodded and rested his forehead on Mumbo’s shoulder.

Jrumbot spoke up. “Hey Papa! Wasn’t Daddy gonna tewll you somefing tonight?”

Grian looked up at his baby boy. He was wearing the Mumbo for Mayor t-shirt that Bdubs had made for Grian, since G couldn’t really wear it himself. Mumbo nodded and glanced at his partner, who seemed tired. 

His buddy shrunk back down to his normal size with Mumbo still on his lap. 

“Will you four be all good here alone?” Grian asked the robots.

“We’ll be fine, Father.” Amelia smiled and pet Gellie, who was being held hostage by Jrum. Grumbot gave a thumbs up and Circuit nodded.

“Okay then.” Grian stood, picking Mumbo up and setting him down on the way.

“Let’s go to your pillars. They seem nice and...private.” The bird suggested.

Mumbo pulled out his elytra and some rockets. Grian looked tired, so Mumbo decided that he should let him rest and not have to carry him.

Grian noticed this.

It made him smile.

Mumbo took G’s hand as the bird raised his wings. The redstone man launched the two of them off with a rocket.

They soared through the air, Mumbo with his rockets, Grian flapping his wings.

Grian held Mumbo’s hand so that his wings wouldn’t take him too fast. That way, hopefully he wouldn’t be noticed. 

The night sky was cool and calm. The stars were bright, and the moon shone in the horizon.

The two of them swooped down onto the top of one of Mumbo’s skyscraping pillars. Grian sat down on the edge of it and looked down. He’d never been afraid of heights, and he had no reason to be afraid since he had wings. But for some reason, when he looked off the tower, he felt a pit in his stomach. He quickly turned his attention away from the ground.

Mumbo kept his elytra on and sat down next to Grian.

He didn’t waste any time. 

“So...what’s all this about a Thunderbird? Aren’t they just mythical beasts?”

Grian sighed and looked into the sky. “A lot of mythical beasts are real, but they’re good at hiding. A few people see them, tell stories, make up reasons why they exist, and they become myths. That’s probably how Thunderbirds came to be called ‘mythical’....but they’re real. They’re ginormous black birds that can create lightning storms. I’ve had more than one close encounter with one.” He paused for a moment. 

Mumbo patiently waited for him to continue.

“Back in high school, my friend Taurtis and I would often take trips to places that were kind of…’magical’, in a sense.. They were usually places that were rumoured to be haunted, or rumoured to be harbouring ancient wizard artifacts, and stuff like that. Of course, almost always, it turned out to be fake. 

We knew that though. We weren’t really going there for the rumours. We were going because it was fun, and we liked to pretend.”

Grian sighed and paused again for a few moments.

“There were a few rare times when the rumours turned out to be true. I won’t go into too much detail, but two of those times involved a Thunderbird. The first time, we hid before it saw us, so neither of us got hurt. Because of that, we tried to be more careful around that place, but of course we went back to see it again. We got spotted, and made a run for it. We escaped.

The third time we encountered one was how I got this scar.” Grian motioned towards his right shoulder. Mumbo looked at the scar as Grian continued.

“This was a few years ago. It was a few months before I joined Hermitcraft. Taurtis and I were in a jungle, climbing trees. We weren’t super close to the Thunderbirds’ home, but we were still near it. I told him to be careful since we were pretty high up, and we didn’t have any sort of safety device, but then I challenged him to a race to the top of the tree. He was above me, and I couldn’t really see him behind the leaves, but then...he fell. 

I caught him though! As he was recovering from that shock, we heard a screech and we both knew what made it. That’s when we saw the bird, and it-”

Grian stopped. He looked straight ahead, blinking back tears. His breathing was shaky and his heart was pounding as the image of the bird flew around in his head. 

“Grian? We can take a break if it’s too much for you right now.” Mumbo softly set his hand on Grian’s. 

The birdman shook his head. “No, I...I need to do this now.”

Grian waited another moment, and resumed the story. “The bird swooped at us. I don’t know what it wanted, but it kept circling back and trying to grab me and Taurtis. We were on the same branch, and I was holding him since I had just caught him from falling, but he jumped out of my arms to try and hit the bird.

Stupid move, right? I jumped up to stop him, but the Thunderbird grabbed him in its talons…

I tried to save him. The bird got me pretty good.” 

He paused yet again, and then put his hand on his scarred arm. 

“I jumped at the bird as it started to carry him away, but it shook me off and,  __ well...I fell. 

And that’s how I died.” He laughed nervously.

“I’m kidding, of course… I  _ would  _ have died. But...Xisuma saved me.” Grian looked down at his hands.

“So, unless by some miracle Taurtis was able to escape-” He choked back tears, but it was useless. He started to sob, prompting Mumbo to hug him.

Grian turned towards Mumbo and cried on his shoulder. 

The two sat like this for a few minutes before Grian sat back and wiped his eyes. He sniffed and looked at Mumbo, who gave him a sympathetic look.

“Now you know why I hate birds.”

Mumbo glanced at Grian’s wings. 

“You said that Thunderbirds have black feathers, right?” Mumbo asked.

Grian nodded.

“And you said that you were turning  _ into _ one, right?”

G nodded again.

“But...your wings aren’t black. They’re purple-y.”

Grian faltered for a second. “I...I don’t know why they’re like that.” He admitted. “See, if it were just the wings, the whole Thunderbird attack wouldn’t be so much of a big deal. It’s because I can change size and zap people. Xisuma’s the one who told me the connection.” 

It was silent for a moment. A bit of wind slowly pushed past the two hermits.

“Do you think you’ll become, like, a full bird?” Mumbo spoke up.

Grian tensed up. “I don’t wanna.” 

The redstone man could tell how uncomfortable the topic made his friend, so he decided not to push it.

It was silent again until Grian whispered to himself, “I wish this could all be over.”

Mumbo took Grian’s hand. “Maybe we should go back, or talk about something else.”

G nodded and leaned his head against Mumbo’s arm.

“╎ ⍑𝙹!¡ᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ꖌリ𝙹∴ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᔑℸ ̣ i ∴𝙹⚍ꖎ↸ ᓭℸ ̣ ╎ꖎꖎ ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ ||𝙹⚍, ᒷ⍊ᒷリ ╎⎓ ||𝙹⚍ ʖᒷᓵᔑᒲᒷ ᔑ ⊣╎ᔑリℸ ̣ ʖ╎∷↸.” Mumbo spoke the End language, his eyes glowing slightly purple. 

Grian thought for a moment, trying his best to use what X taught him to figure out the words. 

“╎ ꖌリ𝙹∴. ╎ ↸𝙹リ’ℸ ̣ ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ ᒲᒷ ℸ ̣ ⍑𝙹⚍⊣⍑.” Grian slowly replied, his wings shimmering and his own eyes glowing.

“Then I’ll help you figure out how.” Mumbo said in English.

“Good luck with that.” Grian joked.

“I’m serious.” 

Grian pulled away from Mumbo’s arm. “What do you mean?”

Mumbo ran a hand through his hair. “I want to help you see how great you are. It’s hard to watch you be so hard on yourself. The reason I got so excited about Jrum’s superhero comment was because, well, I think that could really help you feel more confident.”

“You really think so?”

Mumbo nodded and gave Grian a smile.

“I’ll do it then, if you want me to.” G finally gave in. “Just for the record, I’m only doing this because you and Jrum want me to. I’m not doing it for me and my confidence.”

Mumbo chuckled. “I figured that would be the case.”

Grian looked back over the edge, and felt that strange rush of acrophobia run over him. 

“Were you scared?” He asked Mumbo.

The engineer cocked his head to the side. “Was I scared?”

“When...when you fell of the pillar.”

Mumbo thought for a second. “No.”

Grian gave him a doubtful look. “You were about to die, why weren’t you scared?”

“Because I knew you would catch me.”

Grian let out an anxious chirp. “But what if I couldn’t?!”

Mumbo chuckled softly. “That doesn’t matter. What does matter is that I trusted you, and you caught me.”

G was confused. 

“I knew you wouldn’t let me fall.”

Grian froze. He thought back to when he caught Taurtis.

Taurtis trusted him.

He knew that Grian would catch him, so he wasn’t scared.

He knew that Grian wouldn’t let him fall.

“But I let you down in the end.” Grian mumbled, staring off into space.

“Wha-...No, you didn’t.” Mumbo turned to his friend.

“I couldn’t save you in the end.” Grian didn’t seem to be aware of what was going on.

Mumbo touched Grian’s arm. “I’m still here. You did save me.”

Grian started to laugh sadly. His laughs turned into sobs as he stared straight in front of him. Little sparks started to zip off of him, shooting in random directions.

Mumbo jumped back in surprise.  “Grian, it’s okay!”

Grian couldn’t hear him. He was too focused on his failure as a friend.

The electricity grew stronger as Mumbo came closer. 

“I am still here. You saved me, and you are nothing like those terrible birds.” He tried to reassure his buddy.

Grian heard the words, but not in Mumbo’s voice. It was Taurtis’ voice. 

In disbelief, Grian opened his eyes and turned to face the source of the words. His eyes glowed pure white and his tears were evaporating before they had a chance to get down his cheeks. 

Mumbo sharply inhaled at the sight, but continued.

“You’re going to be okay!”

Grian reached a charged hand towards Mumbo, hesitant to touch him in fear that he wasn’t real. 

“T-taurtis?”

Mumbo blinked and shook his head. “N-no, Grian, it’s me. Mumbo.” He tried to keep a steady voice.

Grian pulled his hand back. “Where’s Taurtis then?”

Mumbo didn’t know how to answer.

“He’s gone, Grian. You need to be able to let him go.” Mumbo tried getting through to him.

Poor choice of words.

“I can’t let him go. I can’t do it. I can’t let him fall. I can’t let him fall down. I need to catch him. I need to save him. I gotta fix my mistake.” Grian started to ramble.

Mumbo suddenly got a stupid idea. He hesitated for a second, but then unequipped his elytra. He stood up, teetering on the edge. 

“Alright G, I trust you.” 

Mumbo jumped off the pillar.

He kept his eyes closed, starting to regret not keeping his elytra on as a backup plan. The wind rushed past him as he quickly started to approach the earth. 

“Grian!” He called out.

He was going to hit the ground.

But moments before he would have met his demise, a screech rang through the air. Mumbo opened his eyes just in time to see a giant bird with opal-like feathers swoop down and catch him in its talons. The bird flew up towards the pillar and set Mumbo down. 

The bird hovered over the pillar for a moment before it started to change form. It shrunk down until Mumbo saw Grian in the air. He seemed unconscious, and he started to fall out the air. 

Mumbo quickly stood and caught him in his arms. 

His friend was passed out, his breathing slow.

Mumbo shakily sat down away from the edge with Grian in his arms. He examined his sleeping buddy in concern and awe. 

Grian really was becoming a bird. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Expositionnnnnn  
> Okay ngl that bird thing came faster than I planned, but it’s all good   
> I sometimes get too excited for certain parts of my stories that I kinda rush them, but I hope it makes sense  
> Btw, I rarely ever proofread, so I have no clue if my chapters sound good until I read them *after* i post them haha
> 
> I’ve been playing my twenty one pilots playlist on shuffle for the past few days and   
> Ah so many songs fit FW 
> 
> I should probably write down what I want to happen before I just jump into the next few chapters haha


	18. The Start of Something That Could Be Great

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “That’s a pretty hardcore origin story” - Spider-Man Noir

Grian woke up.

He was disoriented, since it didn’t look like he was in his own room. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, stretching out his wings and looking around. He was sitting in an elevated bed with a white comforter. There were a number of chests in the room, and as he turned around to look at the wall, he saw a “Vote Scar for a Goodtime” poster. Grian was in Mumbo’s room.

But where was Mumbo? And what had happened last night? 

Every part of his body was sore.

He shuddered at the pain as it reminded him of hiding his wings beneath his sweaters.

Grian slowly lifted himself out of the bed and stepped off the ledge onto the ground. 

He paused. It smelled like someone was cooking, and he could hear someone singing. Grian exited the Architech’s room and went down the hall to the source of the aroma and music.

As the bird neared the kitchen, the singing became more clear. 

“ _ There will come a poet, whose weapon is his word. He will slay you with his tongue, o lei, o lai, o lord-” _

__ Grian entered the room to find Mumbo at the stove, cooking and singing. His face was clean shaven, aside from his iconic stache, and he looked both tired and alert. He was wearing that apron that Iskall made for him. Mumbo stopped his serenade at the sight of his friend.

“Good morning, Grian! How are you feeling?” The redstone man flipped the pancake he was making.

“Sore.” Grian sat at one of the tall chairs and set his head down in his arms on the breakfast bar’s surface. “Hey, I woke up in your tiny bed. Where did you sleep?” 

Mumbo looked up at Grian. “Oh, I didn’t.”

Grian frowned. “You’ve only gotten, like, a single night’s rest in the last three days.”

“Last  _ four _ days, and I’m not helping my case by saying that-” Mumbo realized.

“Real question though. How  _ did _ I get down there? Last thing I remember was me telling you my story.” Grian rubbed his eyes. 

Mumbo paused. 

_ He doesn’t remember the zapping or the bird thing...that’s good.  _ He thought

“Well, you told me your story and then you sort of...cried yourself to sleep. You seemed really exhausted. Maybe it’s because of the size changing?” The tall man bent the truth to protect his friend.

Grian bought it.

“Yeah, that’s probably why…” The bird yawned and pointed at the stove. “The food’s gonna burn.”

Mumbo looked back down at the pancake and quickly flipped it onto a plate with other pancakes. It was only a tiny bit burnt.

“I made some for you too.” Mr. Jumbo turned around to get plates out of the cupboard. He set them down and fixed up a plate for both him and Grian.

“Oh sweet, thanks.” Grian smiled and sat up. A sudden jolt of electricity shot through his body and whizzed past Mumbo’s face.

“Ah!” Mumbo jumped back, still holding the two plates. He regained his composure quickly. 

“Sorry I...I don’t know why that happened.” Grian shook his head, taking notice of this constant buzz he felt. It was like the electrical hum of a machine, but more natural. He felt more awake, but at the same time felt more anxious. 

Mumbo studied his buddy with a concerned look before setting the plate in front of him. “It’s alright.” 

Grian nodded slightly and picked up a bottle of syrup from across the counter. Mumbo sat down in the chair next to him. 

“I’ve been thinking up ideas for the superhero thing.” Mumbo said as he started cutting up his food.

“The superhero thing?”

“Yeah, last night you said you would do it for me and Jrum.” 

Grian thought back to the night before. It was all sort of fuzzy, but he did kind of remember agreeing to it. “Oh yeah, you’re right.” He said and passed the syrup after using it.

“Anyways, I’ve been thinking of what you could do. Since you have wings, maybe you could have some sort of...bird gimmick. Y’know, just embrace the bird thing until it doesn’t scare you anymore! Whaddya think?” Mumbo took the bottle and poured the syrup on his pancakes.

Grian thought about that as he took a bite of the food. He didn’t realize that Mumbo was actually a decent cook. He was pleasantly surprised. 

“As much as I hate that...it’s actually a kind of okay idea.” Grian said with his mouth full. He swallowed before continuing. “How about something...stupid? Something not too serious?”

Mumbo nodded as he took a bite. “I like that, yes.” He said, covering his mouth as he talked. 

The two sat in silence for a minute as they ate their food, both trying to think of ideas. 

From outside, a clucking could be heard. Grian turned around to find that the front door was wide open, and a chicken was peeking its head inside.

“Mumbo, did you leave your door open?”

Mumbo turned around and laughed. “I guess I did!” He got up and picked up the chicken that had started to enter the base. “No, no, you don’t belong in here!” He booped the mob on its beak.

Mumbo was about to set the bird back outside when Grian jumped up. “Wait, Mumbo!” He went on over to his friend and took the chicken from his arms, holding it up to his tall pal’s face. “This!”

Mr. Jumbo looked confused, but it dawned on him. “You want your superhero thing to be a chicken?” He laughed a bit.

“Yeah! It’s perfect! It’s dumb and ridiculous, and that’s what I need right now!” Grian lowered his arms and held the chicken, who looked a tad annoyed. 

A smile creeped onto Mumbo’s face, joy glittering in his amber eyes. “I love it.” 

Grian couldn’t help but smile. It felt like it had been so long since he’d done something silly and the thought of doing so made him feel better.

“Oh this is great! What should my name be?” Grian pet the chicken.

“Hmm…” Mumbo thought for a moment. “Uh...Poultry Man?” He jokingly suggested.

Grian nodded. “It’s great, yes!” 

Mumbo’s smile grew wider. Grian was acting like his usual self again. Mumbo closed the front door as Grian still held the chicken. 

“Oh! And if I save people while like this,” Grian willed himself into his taller form. The chicken started freaking out. “Then no one will recognize me!” 

The farm animal kept squawking, so Grian held it up to his face. “Hey. Don’t do that. Use your inside voice.” 

The chicken got quieter, but still clucked something. 

“Oi, that’s rude!” Grian laughed, presumably at what the chicken had said.

“You can understand it?” Mumbo looked at his tall friend.

“I-...I guess I can.” The winged man shrugged. “I mean, he’s a bird, I’m a...I’m a bird.” He faltered for a moment. “Uh, no matter.” He shook the thoughts away and turned the chicken around so that it faced Mumbo. “Can we keep him?”

Mumbo gave his friend a quizzical look, but still smiled. “Sure, why not?” He chuckled.

Grian looked happy. “Great! What should we name him?” He looked at Mumbo expectantly.

“Am I the name guy now? Alright.” Mumbo thought for a second. “How about Charlie? That’s a good name for a chicken.” He nudged Grian with his elbow. 

“Was that a not-so-subtle jab at my middle name?” The birdman questioned, trying to look serious but failing miserably.

“Did I say chicken? I meant, ‘very nice bird friend.’” Mumbo winked.

Grian dropped his serious act and smiled. “That’s better.” He set the chicken down on the floor. “But I agree. Charlie does seem like a good name for him.” He shrunk back down to his normal size and returned to his seat to finish his food. “Maybe we could get an Enderman and name it Oli, since they’re tall, they’re dark, and they hate water.”

Mumbo sat down next to him. “Hey, water messes up redstone!” He defended himself before stuffing his food into his mouth.

* * *

After breakfast, Mumbo gathered some things in his inventory before the two of them returned to Grumbot’s place. Grian was waiting by the door, wearing that purple cloak Xisuma let him borrow. Mumbo had gone to get it earlier that morning while Grian was asleep, knowing that his friend would want to hide his wings. 

Grian also held Charlie in his arms, patting his head and feeding him wheat seed to keep him quiet. The Redstoner equipped his elytra and tied his shoes before hopping up and heading to the door. The birdman opened up the door and let Mumbo exit before closing the door behind himself.

Mumbo pulled out a rocket and looked at Grian. 

“How are you going to fly?”

Grian stopped walking. “Oh beans, you’re right.” His wings fluttered softly under the cloak, as if they were suggesting he just fly using them. He frowned. “My elytra broke off a couple of days ago, and I don’t have another.”

Mumbo surveyed his cloaked buddy. An idea popped into his head.

“You can shrink down and I can hold you as I fly!” He suggested, vaguely remembering when his friend woke him up while being small. 

“Alrighty! That works. But you’ll have to hold Charlie too.” Grian extended his arms and passed the chicken over to Mumbo. Mumbo took the mob and watched Grian shrink down to the size of a hummingbird. 

Mumbo bent down and held his hand out for Grian to get on. The tiny bird hopped onto the man’s palm. Mumbo brought his hand up to his face. He looked at his small friend with a playful smile. “Aw look at you! You’re adorable!” 

Grian rolled his eyes and bopped Mumbo on the nose with his tiny hand. “Just fly already.” He couldn’t help but smile. 

Mumbo held Charlie in his left arm, and held Grian in his left hand, holding his rockets in the other. 

He launched himself into the sky, and zipped towards their destination.

* * *

Mumbo made a safe landing and set the two birds on the ground. Charlie looked at Grian, who was still tiny, and tried to peck at him. Grian hopped back and returned to normal size. Charlie squaked and ran towards the giant robot, who’s screen was dark. Grian chucked and tried to brush away a feather off of his arm.

He couldn’t though. 

Confused, Grian looked down. A familiar panic ran through him as he realized that the feather was coming  _ from _ his arm. He quickly pulled it out, wincing at the pain, and hiding his arm. 

Mumbo looked up from his inventory. “Everything fine?” He asked.

“Yup!” Grian smiled nervously.

Mumbo was about to protest when Jrumbot ran out from behind Grum and zoomed towards the two men. “Hewwo Papa! Hewwo Daddy!” He waved as he jumped up and down, still wearing the Mumbo for Mayor t-shirt that was much too big on him.

Mumbo smiled and greeted his baby. He bent down and kissed the bot on his screen. “Hello Jrum, my boy.” 

Grian still felt awkward about the whole “dad” thing, but he wanted to try his best to be a good father. He too bent down and gave the metal boy a kiss. Jrum giggled and a heart appeared on his screen. 

“Where are the twins?” Grian asked Jrumbot, who pointed up at the shut down mayoral droid.

Grian looked at Mumbo questioningly. “You were here earlier, right?”

Mumbo nodded and started to head towards Grumbot. 

“Did you do something?”

Mumbo stopped when he was almost under Grum’s head. “I had an idea.”

Grian waited for Mumbo to explain, but the fellow Architech didn’t.

“Well? What was your idea?” Grian urged.

Mumbo looked back at Grian. “Oh, yes! I had an idea! We haven’t really been working on the campaign, and I honestly don’t believe I will win, so-” Mumbo clapped his hands together. “I decided that the campaign can be our cover!”

Grian studied the bigger robot, while Jrumbot tugged on his cloak. He picked him up in his arms, his focus still on Grum. “I don’t get it. Whaddya mean?”

Mumbo pulled some blueprints out of his inventory. “We can turn Grumbot into your superhero super computer! Of course he’ll still serve his primary function as a mayoral advice bot, but that’s just so that if anyone comes to talk to him, he can still act normally!” Mumbo’s eyes twinkled in a mischievous way, but he looked very tired. 

“So...you’re gonna turn our son into a crime computer? Won’t that harm him or something?” Grian looked down at Jrumbot, who was messing with the pin on the cloak. “No, don’t do that baby.” He whispered to the boy before softly kissing his TV head.

Mumbo shook his head. “I asked him first. Grum seemed excited. Amy and Kit are already working on his new functions.” He waved at the dark screen. 

Grian paused. “Wait, they’re inside his head, and they can see us?”

Mumbo nodded. 

Grian thought back to the day where he had taken off his sweater to stretch his wings. At the time, he thought that Mumbo couldn’t see him. But now he knew that he could, and that he probably did. 

But Mumbo had played it off. 

Grian was lost in thought when Jrum dinged like a phone. The baby bot held out his hand and a screen hologram came from his palm. It looked like a text message.

“Amewia says dey need da new boopwint” Jrumbot looked up at his papa after reading the message. 

“Alrighty, can you bring this up to her?” Mumbo passed the rolled-up schematics to his son. Jrum nodded and hopped out of Grian’s arms before running behind his big brother. 

“They’re connected?” Grian asked, referring to the robokids.

Mumbo smiled. “They’re all on the same secured private network.” 

“Huh…” Grian trailed off, not really thinking about the robots. 

Another zip of electricity jolted through him, causing the bird to twitch as built-up lightning zapped at the sides of the cloak. It didn’t seem to affect the fabric somehow.

Mumbo glanced at Grian with a worried look. Grian met his gaze, holding their eye contact for a second too long before somberly looking at the ground.

Mumbo didn’t look away at first, but after a moment he turned to the command centre. He pulled out another set of blueprints, as well as his Redstone shulker box, and taped the paper to Grumbot’s smooth panels after setting down the box. He kneeled down, rummaging around and pulling out various redstone mechanisms.

“I’m not gonna be any help here, so I guess I can get started on our secret headquarters?” Grian spoke up.

Mumbo turned to look at him, somehow already covered in redstone. He had a redstone torch in his mouth like a flashlight. “Sure! That works!” 

Grian chuckled at his companion before pulling out his own shulker box full of building materials.

He began work on the base.

* * *

Grian decided that an underwater base that led from underneath Grumbot’s platform would be the best way to go about it. He worked on the tunnel, using water breathing potions to let him work for longer at a time. 

By the end of the day, Mumbo and Grian had created the entrance. If Mumbo, Grian, or any of the robot kids entered the right code, Grumbot’s command centre would open up and reveal a platform lift. The lift went down through a glass tunnel and opened up to a glass hallway. The fish swam above and under the tube, making it a very cool place to walk through. Grian had also finished the shell of the base, using sponges to soak up the seawater and dry up the inside of the hollow headquarters. 

Grian soaked up the last bit of water and got in the lift. There was an electrical hum as he was elevated up to the surface. The back of the lift opened, allowing Grian to exit without the risk of being seen from the front of Grumbot. 

It was a smart move on Mumbo’s part.

The bird pulled out the purple cloak from his inventory and put it on. He reached under the fabric and touched his wings. He could feel the electric current in him grow stronger. He quickly pulled his hand away.

Grian looked around for his partner. The sun had set a couple of hours ago, and the stars were bright in the sky. He could see the glow of redstone from the entrance of the Jrumbot shop, and as he approached, he could once again hear Mumbo singing. 

_ “Now different lives I lead, my body lives on lead, the last two lines may read incorrect until said…”  _

Grian peeked inside. Mumbo was sitting on the shop counter, singing, while the twins hummed along as they swept the shop. Jrumbot was laying in the bed that Mumbo had set up days ago and had only used once. Jrum looked asleep, but could robots sleep? He had one arm around Charlie the chicken and his other around Gellie. Both animals were sleeping with their heads resting on the baby bot.

_ “The lead is terrible in flavour, and now you double as a papermaker-” _

Mumbo spotted Grian, but continued the verse.

_ “I despise you sometimes” _

Grian inhaled sharply at those words, knowing full well that it was just a song. But Mumbo had been making eye contact. 

He was being highly irrational, and he knew it. Still...it was hard to stop thinking negatively about himself.

“ _ I love to hate the fight, and you in my life is like sipping on straight chlorine.” _

Mumbo stopped singing and hopped off the counter, now standing behind it. The warm torchlight caused the redstone dust on him to twinkle and shimmer. It was cold outside, especially since Grian had the cloak instead of his normal sweater.

Mumbo motioned for Grian to come inside, a happy look on his face. 

The bird stepped inside, feeling the glow of the torches. The twins waved and Grian returned the greeting. He made his way behind the count and stood next to Mumbo, who’s arms were leaned on the front desk. He was watching the twins organize the stock and give each other looks. Every so often, one or both of the twins would start laughing.

Grian looked at Mumbo when this happened. 

“They can message each other with their thoughts, since they’re connected computers.” The redstone expert explained.

“Ah I see.” Grian watched the twins a bit more.

“How are you doing? You’ve been working hard.” Mumbo turned to look at Grian, putting his arm around him.

“I’m alright. I drained the water from the inside of the base, so now it’s ready for the interior.” He answered, tugging at the cloak.

“You don’t have to wear that in here.” Mumbo pulled his arm back. 

Grian started to protest. “But-”

“No one’s gonna come in here. We’ll just close the door.” Mumbo put his hands on the pin of the cloak. Circuit rushed over to the door of the shop and closed it.

Grian stayed still and allowed Mumbo to carefully unpin the robe and slowly remove it from the bird’s shoulders. He folded it up neatly and set it down on the counter beside them. 

Grian moved his wings a bit. He shifted uncomfortably under Mumbo’s gaze. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Grian looked to the side to avoid eye contact.

Mumbo’s reply was a laugh, the kind that warmed Grian’s heart. “Sorry, I’ll stop.” He chuckled, and returned to watching the kids as they non-verbally communicated. 

Grian stepped next to Mumbo and extended his wings, wrapping it around Mumbo like a hug. The tall Englishman smiled and stroked the feathers that came around his shoulder. He could feel a slight current in them, but he was used to electricity. He looked over at Grian, who kind of stared straight forwards, zoned out. 

“You alright, buddy?” 

Grian looked up, and moved his wing back to its usual position. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You seem...tense.”

Grian laughed. “I am extremely sore all the time nowadays.” 

“Hey Father, you should rub his shoulders. I read that it helps with soreness.” Amelia looked over at her parents.

Grian looked at his daughter. “Why were you reading about sore muscles?”

“Dad asked us to look up stuff that would help. He said it was because you said you were sore this morning.” Circuit jumped in to explain.

Grian looked over at Mumbo, who chuckled. “I wanted to help you.”

The bird smiled. Mumbo wanted to help him.

He hopped onto the counter and crossed his legs, his back facing Mumbo. “Well, go ahead.” He smiled. 

Mumbo rolled his eyes with a smile and rubbed the bird’s tense shoulders. He could feel the electric current running through Grian. 

Grian relaxed his wings, letting them fall low. Just the touch of another person made him feel better.

Mumbo leaned in next to Grian, and whispered in his ear. “I have an idea.”

Grian couldn’t help but laugh at the action. “What is it?” 

“We should build a new body for Grumbot. One that’s more...android-y, like Amy and Kit’s.” Mumbo spoke softly, and Grian could tell he was in dire need of sleep. “He deserves the same love that the other kiddos get.” 

Mumbo stopped massaging Grian’s shoulders and hugged him from behind, resting his head against G’s. 

Grian felt warm inside. 

“I like that idea.” 

Mumbo smiled, his eyes closed. 

“You should go sleep.” Grian put his hand on Mumbo’s redstone-dusted hair.

“Fine.” Mumbo yawned and stood up. He walked over to the bed that Jrum was in and scooped the droid, the chicken, and the cat into his arms. His shoes were already off and by the door, so he just got under the blanket and set the animals and robot on and next to him. 

Gellie moved sleeping spots to the pillow next to Mumbo’s head, and Charlie sat next to Gellie, not minding the fact that she was a cat.

Mumbo cradled his baby in his arms and mumbled, “Good night”

Grian smiled and nodded to Amelia and Circuit to follow him. They exited the shop so Mr. Jumbo could get sleep, turning off the redstone lamps on the way out.

The twins went over to their big brother. His power was off, even though all the redstone operations had been finished already. He was safe to turn on, but they hadn’t yet.

Grian thought about what Mumbo had said. It was true. Grumbot didn’t get the same type of love that the other kids got. Specifically, Grumbot was stuck where he was, and was too big to hug properly. 

The bird entered Grumbot’s boot-up code and stepped back.

The bot turned on and looked down at Grian. “Hello Dad!” 

Grian smiled, the awkward feeling returning. “Hey Grum” 

He sighed and focused on growing bigger. He wanted to try and give Grum a better hug. 

He opened his eyes and he was once again 8 feet tall. He concentrated, trying to summon his energy. Maybe he could be bigger. 

It kind of hurt, but Grian was able to grow to roughly the size of Grumbot.

He opened his eyes again and tried to shake away the panic of the situation. Grumbot watched patiently.

Grian slowly stepped towards him. “Hi.” He whispered, not wanting to be too loud. He felt unstable in this form, but he pushed through it.

Grumbot looked very happy at his big dad. He held his robotic arms out for a hug, and Grian put his own around Grum.

The big robot beeped happily and Grian felt that same pride that Mumbo had shown. 

“I love you, Grum.”

“I love you too Dad! I can’t wait to help you be a hero!” 

Grian chuckled. He hugged his son for a minute or two before he started getting lightheaded. He stepped back and shrunk down before stumbling around. His vision got blurry and he tripped over his own foot. Grumbot caught him against his hand. 

“Note to self: Being a giant is not fun. Quite a headache.” He rubbed his head as his vision returned to normal. As his eyes refocused, he spotted small purple feathers on the back of his hand. His smile faded. He looked at the feathers sadly. 

How long did he have left?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goshhhhhhhhhh  
> okay i included Chlorine just bc I’m working on that animation of it  
> Pshfjdhfjdfh i also keep forgetting that Grian has wings, so I have to go back and type in stuff about them  
> Which is funny, since like, that’s the whole premise of the story-  
> I’m trying to slow down my pacing, which I feel like I definitely have :D  
> I have plans for the boy ahhhHH  
> :))))  
> Also, I’ve been holding onto my FW Poultry Man design drawing for like a week now, and ahh I still can’t post it until Poultry Man actually makes an appearance haha


	19. Team Building

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s all coming together

Grian had crept into the shop that night and shrunk himself down to hummingbird size. He nestled himself in next to Jrum and Mumbo and slept until the morning. 

He was awoken by Jrum holding him. 

“Papa!!” Jrum cried gleefully. “Daddy’s a widdle baby bird!” 

Grian sat up in his robot’s hands and rubbed his head. He ached again, but that was probably because he kept changing his size so much. 

Grian looked over at his sleeping buddy. Jrum looked annoyed when he didn’t wake up. 

“Papa!” The bot kicked his father’s arm. Mumbo’s eyes slowly opened to see what hit him.

He was greeted by Jrum’s illuminated display screen next to his face. “Morning Papa!” Jrum giggled and thrust his hands towards Mumbo. Grian was brought next to his friend’s face, and he waved apologetically. 

Mumbo laughed and sat up. He picked his baby up and slipped out of the bed. He set Jrum down on the floor, and Jrum stared intently at the tiny dad in his hands. The eyes on his screen somehow held so much awe. 

“Widdle birdie Daddy!” Jrum sang and giggled, petting G’s head with his finger. “Awe Daddy! You’re so teeeeny!” 

Grian laughed and pushed Jrum’s finger away. He hopped out of his hand and grew to his normal size. 

Jrumbot gasped. “Daddy’s a big birdie!” He paused for a moment, and a loading circle appeared on his screen. It disappeared and Jrum danced around his fathers. “Da intewrnet says dat you’re a fundabird!” 

Grian stumbled back, almost falling over at this. Mumbo caught him and set him upright. 

“What did you look up?” Mumbo asked his baby.

“Uhhh...birdies that change size and go zappy zapp! Cuz I saw Daddy go zappy zapp yesterday!” Jrum answered.

Grian felt uncomfortable. If Jrumbot could find that kind of information that easily, then the hermits could too.

But did it even matter?

He doubted he had long left before he was a bird. 

He looked down at his arm, the feathers from the night before still there. There were 6 or 7 of them, and a couple very small ones.

Mumbo noticed Grian’s distracted expression, and he followed his gaze down to the bird’s arm. He saw a single feather on his arm, the same colour as his wings.

Grian felt Mumbo’s stare, and he hid his arm behind his back, looking up at his friend. His eyes were filled with panic, his breathing heavy.

“Grian, it’s alright, it’s just one feather.”

The bird looked at Mumbo like he was crazy. He pulled his arm back out to look at it, and sure enough, there was only a single feather on his arm.

“I’m going crazy.” Grian mumbled and walked to the counter.

He took the cloak that Mumbo had neatly folded and held it up so that it fell down to full size. The redstone man made his way over to Grian. He took the cloak from his hands and set it around the bird’s shoulders, pining it securely in the middle. 

“I can do it myself.” Grian looked up at his friend, who smiled sweetly. 

“I know, but I like doing it.”

“What does  _ that _ mean?” Grian chuckled and took Jrum’s tiny hand in his own before walking out of the shop.

Mumbo stood alone for a moment in the store. The only other mobs in there were Charlie and Gellie, who were sleeping next to each other on the bed.

“What  _ does _ that mean?” He asked himself out loud. 

He shrugged it off and headed outside to continue work on the base. 

Mumbo stepped out into the sun, feeling the heat of the summer sun. Grian was looking into his shulker box with a frown. 

“Hey Mumbo, we’re running low on materials. Could you run down to the shopping district and pick stuff up? I can send you a list through the bots if you take one of them with you.” Grian looked up. 

Mumbo smiled. Straight to business. 

“Definitely.” He nodded. “But who do I take?”

The twins ran out from behind Grumbot and hugged their father. 

“Take us!” They said in unison.

“Alrighty, guess I’m taking these two kiddos.” Mumbo laughed. He took their hands. “You can use Jrum to send the list.”

Jrumbot beeped happily as Grian closed the box.

Mumbo smiled and started to head to the shopping district with the twin bots. 

Grian took this time to talk to Grumbot. He was an advice robot in the end, so maybe he could help G.

“Grumbot, you awake?” 

Grum’s screen lit up and he looked down at his father.

“Morning Dad! Are you feeling better?” The big robot asked.

Grian shrugged. “Eh. I’m fine though.”

Jrumbot poked his dad. “The wist!” He reminded Grian.

The bird nodded. “Just look in the shulker box and put whatever is low on the list. It’s like taking inventory for a shop.”

Jrum’s eyes twinkled (literally. There were stars in them). “Dis is what I was made for!” He hopped up with determination and leaned into the box, creating a list in his head.

Grian turned his attention back to Grumbot. “Hey, do you have any advice for being a good hero?”

Grumbot thought for a moment, before he dinged. “Don’t beat yourself up over things that were out of your control.” He answered.

Grian sighed. “Yeah, that’s the dream, ain’t it.” 

He was about to ask another question when he heard voices behind him. 

“Heyo Grian!” 

Grian instinctively turned and backed up against Grumbot to hide his wings, even though he was wearing the cloak.

The visitors were Bdubs and Scar, who was holding Jellie.

“Woah, didn’t mean to startle ya, bud.” Bdubs laughed. “You good?”

Grian nodded hastily. “Yeah! Yup! Yes! Everything’s great.” He said with a strained smile. His wings pushed away from Grumbot, forcing Grian to stumble forwards. 

Jrumbot looked up from the box. “I sent da wist to Papa!” He announced, now noticing the visitors. He saw Jellie and he gasped with joy.

“It’s my kitty!!” Jrum ran over to Scar and jumped up and down until the mayoral candidate set his cat on the ground. 

“Hey Jrum!” Scar gave him a smile. 

“Hewwo Scaw!” Jrum beeped and turned to Bdubs. “Hewwo! I’m Jwumbot! Do you wike my shirt?” He pointed at the oversized “Mumbo for Mayor” t-shirt he wore.

Bdubs smiled. “Hey Jrumbot! I’m Bdubs! And I do like your shirt! I made it!” 

Jrum gasped again. “You made dis shirt?” He stood up and stepped towards the man. He hugged his around the legs and said, “I love you!” 

Bdubs laughed and pat Jrum’s TV head. “Is this your kid?” He looked up at Grian, who seemed distracted by his own arm. 

Grian shook his head and looked up. “Huh? Wha-...Oh, yeah he’s me and Mumbo’s baby-...er, kid…..robot child….” He awkwardly trailed off, hiding his arm behind his back under the cloak.

Bdubs looked at Scar, who shrugged. 

“Anyways, G, Scar and I wanted to check in on you and Mumbo. We haven’t seen you two lately, and you guys weren’t feeling too hot a few days ago, if I recall.”

“Ah, yeah...We’re fine now. We made up.” Grian answered. 

“Oh, wait, you two had a fight?” Scar spoke up, looking concerned.

“No, we just...eh it’s not important anymore.” 

“Alright….We also wanted to check in since you haven’t really been campaigning…at all…” Scar said.

“Which we thought was strange, since you kinda started this whole election thing.” Bdubs continued.

“Well, when you’re suddenly the parent of 4 robot kids without your consent, it’s kind of hard to remember a campaign.” Grian moved to pick up Jrumbot, who was still hugging Bdubs’ legs, allowing the two men to see that Grian wasn’t wearing a shirt. 

Bdubs and Scar exchanged another confused glance. 

Grian kissed Jrum’s head, told him to “play with the kitty” and set him down next to Jellie.

Scar thought that was sweet.

Grian looked up at Scar, who seemed to be studying his attire. . 

“Uh, Scar?” Grian spoke up. 

“What’s up Grian?”

“You’re still a wizard, right?”

Scar nodded and made a few sparkles appear with his hand. “Yup!”

“Great, great, cool...Do you have any magic that can...remove things?”

Scar looked at Bdubs, and then back at Grian. “Remove things? Like what kind of things?”

Grian started to regret asking. “Let’s say...uh...that  _ hypothetically _ , someone were to grow a pair of...let’s say wings. Yes.”

When someone said  _ hypothetically _ like that, it usually meant that it wasn’t a hypothetical situation at all, and that it was really the current situation.

Scar knew this, and Bdubs did too. 

Scar started to get a bit excited at the prospect of a winged friend. He tried to conceal a smile. “Well, it depends on how this person got the wings. Was it like a werewolf situation? Hypothetically, of course.”

“Sure?” Grian didn’t realize how complicated this was becoming.

“Hm. Well, it depends again on the type of magic the original host had. The type of magic I deal in only works based on the type of magic it’s going against.” Scar started to explain. Grian knew he was in for a speech. 

“Let’s say my friend got scratched by a werewolf. And let’s say that this werewolf had the type of magic that could be altered by my magic. In reality, most werewolves aren’t altered by my magic, but for hypothetical purposes, let’s say that it could be affected. If my friend got scratched by a werewolf and I used a healing potion on him, the potion might affect the effects of the were-magic. It could cancel out the magic entirely, or change it, or just delay it. There’s many factors that go into this.” Scar explained, making little diagrams out of magic to explain his points.

“If someone wanted to remove wings that were gained from a werewolf, or bird i guess, situation, it might not be possible with my magic. That’s dealing in a different school of magic than mine. I’m more a conjuration/alchemy wizard than a transmutation one.”

Grian gave him an awkward smile. “Ah, I see.” 

Scar saw the disappointment on his face. “So, why were you asking?”

Grian started to panic. “Haha, uh, no reason! Just...wanted to know!”

Bdubs looked unconvinced. “Really?”

Grian backed up. “Geez, you guys, it was just a question.” He looked at his arm, seeing more feathers on it. He yelped and hid it again.

Scar gave Bdubs a worried look. 

“We’re back with the blocks!” 

Grian looked up and felt a wave of relief wash over him as Mumbo walked up behind Bdubs and Scar. The two turned around, and Grian took this chance to hide behind Grum. 

“Oh hey! What brings you here?” Mumbo smiled, letting Amelia and Circuit run off to their normal hang out spot next to Grumbot. 

“Hey Mumbo! Scar and I wanted to check in with you and Grian about the campaign.” Bdubs answered. 

“But...Grian started acting strange and asking about magic and all that. Is he...Is he okay? Do you know what’s going on with him?” Scar looked at Mumbo. 

Jrumbot beeped. “I know what goin on wif Daddy!” 

All three men looked at the tiny bot. Mumbo shook his head and motioned for Jrum to “cut it out”. 

Jrum understood and stayed silent.

“Well?” Scar pressed. 

“Papa said I’m not ‘posed to teww. It’s a secwet!” Jrum stayed firm.

Mumbo sighed. “Would you two gentlemen excuse me for a second? I need to have a word with Grian. It’ll be quick.”

Without waiting for an answer, Mumbo zipped behind Grumbot to find Grian sitting, softly tugging at his wings. He was wincing in pain. 

“Don’t do that!” Mumbo knelt down and pulled Grian’s hand away from his wing. Mumbo looked down at his arm, which had a few more feathers on it. Grian tried to pull his hand away, but Mumbo held it tightly. 

He stood, pulling Grian up with him. 

“Ohmygoshcanwepleasetellbdubsandscaraboutthewingstheyalreadyseemsuspiciousand-” 

“Hey. First of all, slow down. You’re alright. Second of all...if we tell them about the wings…”

“They could help us with Poultry Man!” Grian tried to finish his sentence. 

“Well, that’s not exactly what I was going to say, but….Alright. Grian, I trust you. If you wholeheartedly believe that this is a good idea, then I will go along with it.” 

Grian felt himself smile. He laced his fingers through Mumbo’s and pulled his friend out from behind the big bot.

Bdubs and Scar were making conversation with Jrum, but stopped when his fathers came out. 

Grian ran up to them, still holding Mumbo’s hand. Bdubs noticed this, and smiled, motioning to it slightly with his head for Scar to see. Scar exchanged a curious look with his pal about it. Their attention was brought back to Grian when the cloaked man spoke up. 

“Okay, I have a secret...but if I show you, you’ll be sworn to secrecy.” 

Scar laughed nervously. “I wasn’t aware I was joining a cult today-”

“It’s not like that.” Grian sighed.

“Sorry! Go ahead!” Scar apologized, urging his friend to continue.

“If I show you, you can’t tell anyone. Do you accept this?”

Scar nodded, as well as Bdubs.

“Alrighty.” Grian moved his hands to the pin of the cloak. He dropped the purple robe and spread out his wings.

“I knew it! You got hypothetical wings!” Scar laughed. 

Grian rolled his eyes. “Aw shut up.” His face was tinged with red.

“Oh this is super cool!” Bdubs examined the wings.

“Daddy’s gonna be a supahewo! Pouwtwee Man!” Jrum jumped up and stood in a heroic pose.

“Oh that’s even cooler!” Bdubs grinned. 

As the conversation had continued, it dawned on Scar that Grian wanted to get rid of the wings. He gave him an accepting look, which Grian noticed. 

“Y-yeah...I’ll be a hero…” Grian mumbled, still making eye contact with Scar. Both broke away.

“Do you guys wanna help out? We don’t know how far we can get by ourselves.” Mumbo asked. 

“Of course!” Scar smiled. 

“Do you have a disguise yet?” Bdubs asked Grian, who shook his head in reply. “Great! I can help make it!” 

Scar looked at his friend. “If Bdubs makes it, it’ll probably be chaotic like this suit.” He joked.

“But that’s perfect!” Grian spoke up. “I want to be ridiculous!” 

“Oh, don’t worry, you already are.” Mumbo took the shot.

Grian punched him in the arm. “Oi, shut up.” He laughed. He felt more comfortable with his friends now that they were joking and having fun.

“Hm...You sure people won’t recognize your voice? It’s kind of distinct.” Scar began thinking of the logistics of Grian’s identity.

“Well, they won’t recognize me like this.” Grian shrugged and took on his bigger form. His wings buzzed with static electricity, and little sparks shot off of them.

His newly-informed friends looked agape at him. 

“What kind of bird scratched you?” Scar questioned. 

“A fundabirdie!” Jrum answered for Grian. 

“Thunderbird…” Scar seemed to be thinking hard. “Later, we’ll need to talk about that, but it seems like you two were going to do something before we came.”

Mumbo nodded. “We were going to work on the headquarters.”

Grian shrunk back down, and slipped back on the cloak. “Yup.” 

Bdubs gave them a thumbs-up and an excited grin. “Well we better get back to our work too! Oh man, I can’t wait to be a part of this operation!” 

Scar smiled. “Same here! I bet you could use some magic assistance, and I’m happy to help! We’ll be back later to help you guys!” 

Scar picked up Jellie and waved to Jrumbot. 

Mumbo and Grian waved to their friends as they headed off. Grian looked down and realized that they were still hand in hand, and he let go. 

“Time for work.” He smiled.

Mumbo returned the smile and the two began their job for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmmm brain melt hours haha  
> The original explanation that Scar gave was so much longer, but I shortened it when I typed it out because I didn’t want him to ramble on and on haha  
> I’m slowly working my way through my 3 pound bag of haribo. I think I’ve eaten like half of it already, and it’s only been 2 days....  
> :)
> 
> Head full of fluff and angst haha   
> Thoughts go brrrr
> 
> Where’s Xisuma?? :)))


	20. System Reboot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Circuit board to brain, with two lungs collecting change”

The base was coming along nicely. The two worked on the interior of the egg-shaped glass dome for the day. It was looking great on the inside. There were areas for planning, and even a workshop for Mumbo. There was a bed too, to remind the man to sleep. 

Grian and Mumbo decided that they were done for the day, so they sat in the small kitchen area of the base and talked. Amelia and Circuit were there too, playing with Jrumbot. 

Mumbo suddenly got very quiet as he watched his kids. He looked a bit sad. Grian was concerned. 

“Everything alright?” Grian asked, shifting in his seat.

Mumbo blinked and looked at the winged man. “Yup.”

He stood up out of his seat and rushed over to his new workshop. “I gotta do it!” He seemed anxious.

“Do what?” Grian watched from his chair.

“Make a new body for Grum.” Mumbo started pulling out materials and tools, acting quickly but with purpose. 

“Right now? Aren’t you tired?” 

Mumbo looked up. That crazed look from the other day had returned. “Nope!”

The redstone man started to build the base of an android. Grian stood up and went over to him. 

“Hey man, seriously, what’s with you and robots?” He watched his friend work skillfully.

Mumbo looked up, still moving his hands. “Whaddya mean?”

“I don’t know...you just keep making them, and there’s this... _ look _ in your eye when you build them. It kind of worries me.” Grian rubbed his arm behind his back.

“Grian. I’m fine. I need to do this.” Mumbo sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince his friend.

“Plus, I’ll be quick. It won’t take long. If you come back in the morning, he’ll be done and uploaded!” Mumbo paused his work to give him a smile.

“Yeah, that’s the problem. You’re not sleeping.” The bird took the wrench from Mumbo’s hand. Mumbo turned around and pulled out another one and continued his work. Grian sighed and put the wrench down.

“There’s no time to do it during the day. We’re too busy working on Poultry Man. I want to get this done for Grum.” The roboticist tried to explain.

Grian looked over at his kids. They all seemed so happy. Grumbot deserved that too. He shouldn’t be stuck in one place while his siblings are able to move around. He looked back at Mumbo.

“Fine. But you better sleep. I’m going home for the night. If I come back early in the morning, you better not be still working on the bot.” Grian turned to leave. 

Jrumbot looked up from his spot and saw his dad walking towards the lift. 

“Wait! Daddy! Can I go wif you?” The little boy called out across the room.

Grian looked over his shoulder. He thought for a second. “Alright, c’mon.” He held out his hand.

Jrumbot gasped and jumped up, rushing over to the bird. He took his hand and waved to the twins. They waved back with a smile.

“Gnight Mumbo!” Grian said as he stepped onto the lift. 

“Night Papa! I wuv you!” Jrumbot waved to his mechanic father. 

Mumbo paused briefly to wave goodbye, saying, “Night! I love you too!” before returning to his work.

As the lift opened up from the back of Grumbot, Jrumbot sighed. 

“Papa’s not gonna sweep.” 

Grian frowned. “Yeah, I know. Sometimes, he gets into a groove of working and forgets to do basic stuff, like eating and sleeping.” 

“Dat doesn’t souwnd vewy heawfy” Jrumbot beeped as Grian picked him up. 

“You’re right. It’s not healthy at all.” Grian looked around him to make sure the coast was clear before raising his wings and launching himself into the air. He flew high in the clouds so that he’d be less easy to spot.

Jrumbot had never been in the sky before. He digitally giggled and pointed his arms like a superhero in flight. Grian couldn’t help but smile. He kissed the top of the boy’s head and held him tighter. He wanted his baby to feel safe, and he wanted Jrum to trust him as well. The robot looked up at his father in awe. 

Grian flew above his mansion and landed gracefully on the roof. Still holding Jrumbot, he made his way to the access port. He brought Jrum down inside the mansion and took him to his room.

* * *

Back at the base, Mumbo had no intentions of sleeping. He followed a set of blueprints similar to the one he used for Amelia and Circuit. The body he was building was roughly the same size as the twins. 

Mumbo worked through the hours. Amelia brought him water and Circuit reminded him to sleep. Both knew full well that their creator wouldn’t do so. Mumbo had plans for another robot after he finished Grum. This one would be a surprise.

* * *

Grian came out of the bathroom, his hair wet from the shower. Drops slid off of his watertight wings. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants that were slightly too long for his legs. 

He entered his room and found Jrumbot sitting on the bed, holding a small picture frame. Grian saw the frame, and saw that his closet door was open. 

“Daddy, who’s dis?” Jrumbot held the frame up for his father to see. Grian’s heart dropped when his eyes fell upon the photo. 

It was him and Taurtis. That picture was taken a few months before the Thunderbird incident. The two of them looked so happy. Taurtis’ arm was around Grian’s shoulder’s, his other arm outstretched, taking the picture. Grian was laughing in the picture. 

They were blissfully oblivious. Perfectly ignorant. 

They didn’t know that they would only have a few months left together. 

He had put the picture in his closet so that the memories wouldn’t always be right there. It used to be on his nightstand, but it kept causing nightmares. Once he hid the photo in the closet, the nightmares had stopped. 

He often put his past and problems in his closets.

Grian quickly grabbed the frame out of Jrum’s small hands, sparks shooting off from his feathers. “Were you looking through my stuff?” He asked, his anxiety starting to run high.

“...yes…” Jrumbot looked down shamefully. 

Grian stared at the photograph for a moment before putting it back in his closet and sliding the door shut. He turned back to Jrumbot, who was curled up in a ball on his side, looking sad.

“I-..Oh! I-I’m not mad!” The bird rushed to the side of the bed, kneeling down next to it. He stroked the little robot’s head. “It’s okay! You just caught me off guard.”

Jrumbot looked up. A pixel stream of tears ran down on his display. He sniffed. “Weawwy?” 

Grian nodded. “Really.” 

Jrumbot sat up and hugged Grian around the neck. “I’m sowwy” 

The bird hugged him back. “I’m sorry too, for yelling.”

* * *

Later that night, Grian tossed and turned in his bed. Jrumbot was sleeping next to him, charging. The winged man kept grabbing at the blankets, moving every few moments or so.

Jrumbot felt this, and it took him out of sleep mode. He sat up and found his sleeping father, looking very much in distress. He was laying on his back, atop of his wings. It looked uncomfortable.

Jrum shook Grian’s arm. He didn’t wake up, but he grabbed at his arm. 

“Daddy?” Jrumbot spoke in a hushed whisper. “Wake up!”

Grian kept twitching, an electric charge zapping between his fingers. Jrum grabbed his hand between the zaps. 

“Daddy!” Jrum pulled at his arm. 

An electric current ran through Grian’s hand and into Jrumbot. His battery became fully charged, but it started to fry his system. Jrum cried out and pulled his hand away, holding it. 

Grian’s eyes snapped open when he heard his baby’s cry. He sat up, adrenaline rushing through him. “Jrum?” Grian looked around, and then turned next to him to see his boy’s very bright screen. Jrum’s display was a warning message. It read, “Excess voltage will harm the system. Do not exceed the recommended voltage.”

Grian started to panic. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what had happened. 

“Jrum!? Are you okay?” Grian picked up his son, unplugged his charger cord, and examined him. His hand was burning hot and smoking. The baby sat there, unresponsive. His arms were limp, and his TV head fell to the side. 

The bird felt a terror unlike any he had ever experienced. He knew that he had zapped his boy, and that it had hurt him. Grian was freaking out, his heart pounding and his breathing erratic. He held Jrum tightly, as he started to cry.

“J-Jrum! Please!”

No response. The warning on the screen blinked mockingly.

Grian stood up, clutching his child, and ran out of his room and out of the mansion. 

It was early in the morning, but the sun would not be rising for another few hours. 

Grian flew up into the sky as he stumbled down the steps of the building. He zipped through the sky, faster than he ever had done before. He arrived at the base, and crashed into Grumbot’s command centre. 

He stood up and hastily entered the code to open up the lift. He got it wrong the first time, but the doors opened on the second try. Grian got in, breathing heavily, holding Jrum close and whispering, “it’s gonna be alright,” over and over again.

The lift brought him down to the base. The doors slid open, revealing the brightly lit headquarters. 

Mumbo was still hard at work. He was programming Grum’s system, the body finished. He looked up when he heard the ding of the elevator.

Grian stepped out of the lift, tears running down his face. He was shaking as he ran over to Mumbo.

“Grian? Is everything-” The redstone man started to say.

“I hurt him! I-...Help!” Grian thrust their child into Mumbo’s arms. 

“What do you mean you ‘hurt him’?” He examined Jrumbot’s display, reading the message in his head.

“I think I accidentally zapped him. I-...I don’t know, I was asleep when I did it, I don’t know what to do, oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!”

Mumbo stayed focused while Grian flipped out. “He’s alright.” He spoke calmly. 

“He’s-...huh?” Grian looked at Mumbo while wiping the tears off of his face. 

“He just needs a reboot...and a new hand...and voltage protection...and probably an update as well…” Mumbo started listing what needed to be done.  “But I can do that. I can just build him a new body like I did with Grum! It’ll be easy and quick….since I already kind of started on it. I was gonna surprise you and Jrum.”

Grian looked next to Grum’s new body and saw a different small, partially unfinished body. It had sandals on.

“He’s gonna be okay.” Mumbo set Jrum down next to the other body. He took the t-shirt off of the baby and handed it to Grian. The bird took it shakily and held it.

Mumbo flipped open a panel on Jrum’s back and flipped a switch, shutting the bot off. 

Grian watched silently, too scared to do anything.

Mumbo picked up parts to finish the new bot. He looked at Grian, who seemed terrified. 

“This’ll take an hour or two; You might want to sit down.” Mumbo motioned towards Amelia and Circuit. They were watching their fathers, and Amy waved Grian over when Mumbo nodded at them. Grian made his way to the twins and sat between them. They hugged him to help calm his nerves, and he sat there trying to slow his breathing.

Mumbo worked swiftly and carefully. Panel after panel, wire after circuit board. Grian looked at the new body his friend had made for Grum. He no longer had a TV head. He looked more human than he had before, just like the twins. His eyes were closed. 

Grum was still recognizable as himself though. He still had Grian’s hairstyle and Mumbo’s mustache. He was wearing a red sweater, which was probably one of Grian’s, with a collared shirt underneath it. He wore a normal pair of trousers and a pair of black high tops. 

He was still obviously a robot, but he was more human. His panels were a variety of whites and grays.

“You did a good job.” Grian spoke up and broke the silence. Mumbo glanced over at Grian. 

“On what?”

“On Grum.”

Mumbo smiled. “Thank you.” It was nice to be appreciated.

Grian gave his best attempt at a smile, and went back to watching his friend work. 

He couldn’t stop thinking about how he hurt his baby. His new powers were dangerous, and someone already had to pay the price because of him. He needed to be more careful. He didn’t know what he would do if he lost someone because of him. 

He sat quietly, still feeling alone.

The minutes became hours, and when Mumbo was finished, the sun had risen already. 

He sat back and wiped his forehead, surveying his work.

Jrum’s new body was around the same size as his old one, but more proportional to a human child. His hair was similar to Grum’s but slightly poofier. He too had a mustache, and it was pretty adorable. Mumbo had retrieved the t-shirt from Grian and now Jrum’s new body was wearing it. He had on a little pair of shorts.

Mumbo opened up a panel on the back of Jrum’s neck on both of his bodies. He took a usb and plugged it into a port in TV Jrum’s neck. Mumbo waited until the indicator light on the drive turned green before he removed it. 

The redstone man took the usb and inserted it into a port on Jrum’s new body. He waited again until the light turned green before taking the drive out and setting it on the table beside him. He closed the panels on both of their necks.

He picked up Jrum’s old body and looked at it. He wasn’t sure what to do with it now. He couldn’t just throw it away. That seemed kind of awful. Instead, Mumbo set it on the counter behind him, his back up against the wall. He took a sticky note and drew a smiley face on it before putting it on the screen of the TV. He positioned the arms and legs so that he was sitting politely. 

Mumbo stepped back and smiled at the now empty bot. After a minute, he turned around and crouched down once more in front of the new Jrum. He opened a panel on his arm and pressed a button. Mumbo closed the panel and watched as the bot booted up. His eyes opened, and he stared at his father as his systems finalized. A ding sounded when it was done, and Jrumbot jumped up. 

“Papa!” Jrum threw his arms around Mumbo’s neck, hugging him tightly.

“Jrum!” Mumbo laughed and hugged back.

The baby let go and looked at his hands. “I’m awight!” He laughed. Jrum’s eyes grew wide and put his hands on his face. He felt his hair and his mouth. He opened and closed it a few times. 

“Papa!! Wook at me! I’m just wike you and Daddy now!” Jrum’s eyes sparkled. 

Mumbo grinned proudly and hugged his boy. It was now more like hugging a real human rather than a metal boy. He kissed the baby’s forehead and smiled. 

“Go show Daddy!” Mumbo pointed over at Grian, who had fallen back asleep between Amy and Kit. 

Jrumbot ran over to Grian and jumped in his lap. “Daddy!” Jrum put his hands on Grian’s face.

The bird opened his eyes to see his little boy, all fixed up. Grian gasped and hugged his baby tightly, kissing the top of his head. “Oh I’m so sorry Jrum. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He spoke quietly.

Jrum pulled away and smiled. “It’s okay! I’m aww betta now!” The little boy gave his father a kiss on the nose just because he could now. Grian put his hand on Jrum’s face and smiled. Things felt okay.

Amelia turned to Jrum happily. “Jrum! Look at you!” She extended her arms for the boy.

Jrum giggled and hopped into them. Grian stood up, and gave the three bots a nod before walking over to Mumbo. Circuit slid into Grian’s empty spot and the kids began talking to each other.

Mumbo was finishing up the final wiring for Grum. He looked at Grian as his friend put his arms around him. 

“Thank you.” Grian said, his face against Mumbo’s shirt.

“I told you he’d be alright.” Mumbo chuckled and ruffled G’s hair.

Grian let go and looked at Grum. 

“You wanna know the cool thing about Grumbot?” Mumbo asked excitedly. G nodded.

“This body and his current body are synced. Basically, he can control both of them, whether he chooses simultaneously or separately. That way, he can still be the advice bot up there that people know.” Mumbo smiled as he opened up a panel on Grumbot’s arm. 

“Watch this.” 

Mumbo pressed a button underneath the panel and closed it. He took Grian’s shoulders and took a step back with him. The robot’s head raised up, and his eyes opened. His systems took a moment to finalize.

Grumbot looked down at himself in amazement. He raised his leg a bit, a smile growing on his face. He looked up at his fathers, pure joy in his eyes. He stepped forwards and threw his arms around both of them, squeezing them tightly.

“Good morning Dads!”

Grian started to laugh happily. He hugged the boy back. Mumbo did as well. Both Grumbot and Mumbo were cautious of Grian’s wings.

Grumbot let go, his smile wide. 

“How do you feel?” Mumbo asked his son. Grum started to walk around the room, trying out his legs. He had never had any before. 

“I feel great! Thank you!” Grum laughed and ran to his brothers and sister. They greeted him warmly as he hugged all three of them. 

Grian and Mumbo felt immense pride while looking at their kids. Grian took Mumbo’s hand before he spoke up. 

“You didn’t sleep at all.”

Mumbo chuckled. “If I had slept, then Jrumbot wouldn’t be fixed.”

Grian paused. 

He normally hated it when Mumbo was right, but it was okay this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’M SORRY FOR HURTING THE BABEY OKAY  
> I had to do it  
> I had to do it so that he could be like his siblings  
> Plus, who doesn’t love some good ol’ angst?
> 
> Legit though, i didn’t know what to do with Jrum’s old body-  
> Whoops-


	21. Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But in my dreams began to creep  
> that old familiar  
> tweet  
> tweet  
> tweet"

Grian and Mumbo were sitting at the table in the small kitchen area of the base, having lunch. Mumbo was trying to explain how the robots worked.

“...And they’re all connected.” He finished his speech proudly. The man had been talking for a solid 5 minutes to Grian.

The bird looked up. “Huh? What were you saying? Sorry, I wasn’t listening.” He joked. 

Mumbo gave him a deadpan expression and an eye roll. 

“I’m kidding! I’m kidding! I was listening!” Grian chuckled before shoving another bite of food into his mouth.

The redstone man was about to say something when Grum ran up to them.

“Hey, there’s people outside!” He said, holding his hand, palm up. A holographic projection came from the repulsor in his palm. It showed the camera view from TVGrum’s eyes. Standing on the platform was Bdubs and Scar. They seemed like they were waiting for Grian and Mumbo.

“You can let them down here.” Mumbo smiled. Grum nodded.

Above the water, Scar and Bdubs stood in front of the giant robot. The bot had told them to hold on for a second.

After a moment, the middle of his command centre opened up to reveal an elevator.

Bdubs grinned and hopped towards the lift as Scar followed, holding Jellie.

“This is really cool.” The Boomer said as the lift brought them down through the water. The doors opened up into the base.

Mumbo and Grian looked up as the lift slid open. 

“Hey guys!” Scar spotted them and waved as he and Bdubs started to make their way over. “You’ve done a great job with capturing that ‘superhero’ HQ vibe!”

“Thanks!” Mumbo smiled. Grian just nodded.

“Where’s Jrum? I brought Jellie for him to play with.” Scar said looking around. Something caught his eye. It was Jrumbot...but he didn’t seem quite right. His screen was dark and he had a sticky note on his face. “I-”

The wizard was cut off by a little boy hugging his legs. “Hewwo Scaw!” 

Scar looked down to see what he thought was at first a real human kid, but quickly realized that it was Jrumbot. He had gotten a new body. 

“Hey Jrum! Can you watch Jellie for me while we talk with your fathers?”

Jrum nodded and held out his arms for the cat. Scar lifted her off of his shoulders and placed her in the little boy’s metal arms. Jrum hugged her and ran off towards the twins, and another robot who looked like an older Jrum.

“You built another robot?” Bdubs asked Mumbo, motioning towards the group of androids. 

“Well, sort of? I built another body for Grum. He controls that one and the one upstairs.” Mumbo explained. 

“They look amazing.” Scar complimented the roboticist. “I thought Jrum was a human for a second.” He laughed. 

“Yeah, if they’re panels were a different colour, it might’ve been impossible to tell.” Bdubs continued. “They look a lot like you two.” 

Grian put his head down in his arms on the table. “I know” he said, but it was muffled. 

“So….Poultry Man!” Bdubs changed the subject. “I drew up some designs for his suit!”

BdoubleO opened up his inventory and took out a sketchbook. On the cover was written “Scar’s Sketches”. He flipped through the pages of base designs until he reached a page full of concept art. He set the book down on the table for the Architechs to see. 

It was a strange design, since the top and bottom didn’t really match, but Grian liked it.

There was only one problem.

“How am I gonna wear a shirt and chestplate with my wings?”

Bdubs smiled. “Don’t worry, I thought of that. It’ll make sense once I make the suit.” 

“I had a few ideas for stuff as well.” Scar said, reaching over to flip the page of the sketchbook.

On the new page were doodles and sketches of potion bottles in various shapes. A few recipes were written beside them. One of the designs was shaped like a chicken egg.

“I thought this would add to your chicken gimmick.” Scar pointed at the egg-shaped bottle drawing.

“Oh my gosh that’s perfect.” Grian smiled even wider. His wings fluttered happily. 

His smile faltered for a moment as the charge of electricity increased in him. He held back the lightning, not letting it zap out. His entire body tensed up for a second, but returned to normal quickly. All three of his friends looked at him.

“||𝙹⚍ 𝙹ꖌᔑ||?” Mumbo gave him a concerned look, whispering the foreign language to him. His eyes and freckles glowed, his hair slightly shimmered.

Scar and Bdubs turned their attention towards Mumbo now. Bdubs looked confused, while Scar looked more surprised. 

“╎'ᒲ 𝙹ꖌᔑ||” Grian replied in a whisper. His eyes and freckles also glowed, and his feathers took on a more astronomical look. It made it obvious that there were more feathers on his body. Scar glanced down at Grian’s arm and saw the additional feathers. 

Bdubs seemed speechless. 

Grian felt their stares and shook his head. “Er, sorry-...” The glow on him faded, while Mumbo’s had disappeared completely already.

“I really like your guys’ designs!” The bird hastily changed the subject. Bdubs blinked, but then smiled. 

“Thanks! This is really fun so far!” He gave G a thumbs-up.

Scar smiled but then moved next to Grian. He leaned down and whispered next to his ear. “⊣∷╎ᔑリ, ᓵᔑリ ╎ ℸ ̣ ᔑꖎꖌ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ||𝙹⚍ ⎓𝙹∷ ᔑ ᒲ𝙹ᒲᒷリℸ ̣ ?” His green eyes glowed and his scars shimmered. 

Bdubs jumped back from Scar. “I’m so confused-” He looked at his friends. 

Grian tensed up when Scar spoke. He should have expected that the magician would know something like this, but it caught him offguard. “I-...alright-” 

Grian stood slowly and followed as Scar took him to the corner of the room. 

“Where did you learn Galactic?” The mage spoke in a hushed whisper. Scar was gripping Grian’s arm tightly. His eyes looked behind the bird to the counter where Jrum’s old body sat. Next to the empty bot was that purple cloak. Scar’s eyes grew wide.

“Where did you get that cloak?” The candidate spoke urgently, turning his attention back to the bird.

“I- uh, I-” Grian felt intimidated by Scar’s intense stare. “Xisuma taught me-” He spoke quietly and quickly. He didn’t know why his friend was so concerned about this. “And he let me borrow the cloak to hide my wings-”

Scar released his grip. “Oh. Okay.” He let out a sigh of relief. “That makes more sense.”

Grian chuckled awkwardly. “A-alrighty then.”

The wizard held up his hand. “One more thing.” Scar lifted up Grian’s arm and looked at the feathers.

“I think I could make a potion that could help your situation.”

Grian perked up, hopeful. “Wait, really?”

Scar nodded. “It won’t get rid of this, but it’ll slow down your change. You won’t grow as many feathers so fast. It’ll give you more time before...well..”

“The inevitable…” The bird looked at his feathers.

“Yeah. You’ll still grow them, but it’ll slow down.” 

G thought about this. He turned around to look at Mumbo, who was laughing with Bdubs and the robot kids. He didn’t want to have to leave him. He didn’t want to have to leave any of them.

“I’ll take whatever you can give me.” Grian turned back to Scar.

“Great. I’ll see what I can mix up tonight and bring you it tomorrow.” 

The bird smiled, but then paused. “Wait, why do  _ you _ know Galactic?”

Scar winked. “Wizards are a mystery.” He headed back to the table, leaving Grian alone in the corner. 

“Alright then...Where did Mumbo learn Galactic?” He mumbled to himself as he followed Scar.

Bdubs greeted his candidate and the bird. “Welcome back, you two.” He smiled. “Mumbo was just telling me about your kids, G.” 

Grian pressed his lips together in a strained smile. He gave a thumbs-up. He wasn’t feeling up to talking. He felt tired, even though he slept more than Mumbo. 

The three of them looked at Grian for a moment.

“We’ll get outta your feathers. We have some work to do for Poultry Man.” Scar said after seeing Grian’s expression. He seemed sick. 

Bdubs nodded and picked up the sketchbook, putting it into his inventory. “We’ll see you later!” 

“I can’t wait to see the results!” Mumbo smiled to Bdubs and Scar. Scar smiled back and then gave the slightest side glance over at Jellie. She perked her ears up and stood, walking over to Scar. She hopped onto his shoulders and laid down.

Jrum looked annoyed. “Bye kitty!” He waved as Scar and Bdubs exited. 

On the way out, Grian could hear Bdubs ask Scar, “What the heck were you guys even saying?” 

Scar chuckled in reply as they got into the lift. The door closed and Grian watched his friends rise up above the water. He turned back to Mumbo.

“Hey, uh, I don’t...I don’t feel too hot, I’m just gonna-” He put a hand on his head and backed up towards the bed. He sat down on it and slowly laid himself onto the mattress. His wings curled around him.

Mumbo studied his friend. He definitely didn’t look okay. The redstone man went over to him. He crouched down beside him and rested his head next to Grian’s. 

“Do you need anything?” He asked in a quiet tone.

Grian shook his head. “N-no.” He looked down at his arm, feeling sick as he saw the feathers. 

“Do you want Jrum?” Mumbo rubbed Grian’s arm. Grian shook his head immediately. He looked scared. 

“You won’t be able to hurt him. It’s okay. I fixed him.” 

The bird closed his eyes, blinking back tears. “No, I just wanna sleep.” He curled himself into a ball. 

Mumbo gave him a sad smile. “Alrighty.” He stood up and ruffled G’s hair. We’ll let you get some rest.” 

The tall Englishman motioned to the kids to follow him. They stood up and went to their father, except for Jrum. He ran over to Grian and hopped onto the bed, putting his face next to his dad’s. Grian opened his eyes. 

Jrum hugged him and planted a kiss on the bird’s forehead. “Feew betta soon Daddy! I wuv you vewy much!”

Grian tried to smile, but couldn’t manage it. He couldn’t form the words.

“C’mon Jrum. Let’s let Daddy sleep.” Mumbo said from across the room. Jrum kissed Grian’s forehead again and hopped off the bed and ran over to his other dad. He took the tall man’s hand and followed him into the elevator.

The lights in the base dimmed. Grian lay on the bed, alone in the empty dome. 

“I love you too…” He muttered to himself. He weakly pulled the blanket over himself and felt his eyelids grow heavy. He slipped away into dreamland.

* * *

_ Grian stood alone. He was in his bigger form. He looked around him, but it was nothing but void. He couldn’t bring himself to panic though. He didn’t feel like it was quite worth it anymore. He turned around to see if he could go anywhere, but felt something crack underneath his feet.  _

_ Grian looked down to see a picture frame. The picture was static. He crouched down and picked it up. The static started to clear and Grian saw the photograph. It was the one he hid in his closet.  _

_ He heard voices. They were his own and Taurtis’. They spoke the words that were said while this picture was being taken. _

_ “ _ We’ll have to start a business together! Something like Mystery Inc., but cooler because I’m here.”  _ Taurtis’ voice laughed. _

_ Grian’s voice chuckled.  _ “We should probably debunk something first before we make any plans.”

_ The voices faded as well as the picture. He heard intense static as the photo became blurry. The static faded as the photo came clear again. This time, it wasn’t a picture of him and Taurtis, but of him and Mumbo.  _

_ Mumbo was standing in the exact same pose that Taurtis’ had been. It was almost like Taurtis had been edited out to put Mumbo in instead.  _

_ He heard the voices again. _

_ “ _ We should start a business together! Something that involves redstone and building, but cool because I’m here.”  _ Grian’s voice laughed. _

_ Mumbo’s voice chuckled. “ _ We should probably figure out what we want to do before we make any plans.”

_ Grian dropped the picture frame. He couldn’t remember if that’s how it really went down. Was Taurtis being replaced? He didn’t want that. He didn’t want to let go of Taurtis. If he did, then he would fall. _

_ “ _ It’s okay.” 

_ Grian looked back down at the photo. He had heard Taurtis’ voice again.  _

_ But the frame was gone, replaced by a pair of headphones with a blue and red checkered circle on them. _

_ Grian backed away from them. He needed to get away from them. _

_ He backed up into someone. _

_ He turned. _

_ It was Xisuma. _

_ He was holding his burned hand and looking at Grian with a look of disgust. He said something, but Grian couldn’t hear it.  _

_ He felt himself shrink down to his normal size as Xisuma glared at him.  _

_ He did something wrong, and he knew it. _

_ Grian closed his eyes. _

_ When he opened them, Xisuma was gone. _

_ Sitting limply on the black voided floor was Jrumbot’s empty body. The sticky note had a sad face drawn on it instead. _

_ Grian tried to cry out, but no sound came from his mouth. He kept trying, but it was useless. _

_ The darkness closed in on him. He couldn’t breathe. _

_ He turned and saw a mirror. He approached it, but he didn’t see himself in the reflection. _

_ Instead he only saw a bird. _

_ A giant black bird. _

_ He woke up. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this should have been posted like, 3 hours ago but I accidentally got distracted by minecraft, EVEN THOUGH I LEGIT HAD LIKE, 2 LINES LEFT TO WRITE HAHA  
> i have no words to say atm  
> head empty
> 
> also i could not think of a decent chapter name haha
> 
> Also haha ty Nines from the SSAU server for the idea of having G and Mumbo slip into Galactic-


	22. Eternal Horizons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I opened my mouth to scream and shout  
> I waved my arms and flapped about  
> But I couldn't scream and I couldn't shout, I couldn't scream and I couldn't shout.  
> The song was coming from my mouth"

When Grian woke up, it was dark. The lights inside the base were still off, and the only real sources of light were the soft glow of his wings and the glow of the moonlight through the ocean. He sat up shakily. The dream he had just had was already starting to fade, but the feelings it created stayed. He felt so utterly alone. 

He had to get out. 

A sudden burst of panic ran through him. He flung the blankets off of himself and jumped out of the bed. He ran towards the lift, scared to look behind him. It was similar to the feeling of turning off a light and running up the stairs. It’s irrational to be afraid in that situation, but there’s fear nonetheless. 

He pressed the elevator button, and waited impatiently for the lift to lower itself down. The doors slid open and G ran inside. He pressed the up arrow multiple times as the doors closed. Slowly, the lift brought him up to the surface. 

The doors opened out of the back of Grumbot, and Grian exited quickly. He frantically looked around for any sign of his family. The night wind was cold against his bare chest. He stepped out from behind Grumbot. No one was around.

Grian looked up at the giant robot. His screen was off.

He tried to call out to his son, but no words came out. The sound he made instead was a chirp. He slapped his hand over his mouth.

He tried again, but he was only able to make bird sounds. Grian let out a frightened warble and looked around in a panic. The lights in the shop were off.

Grian ran over to its door and peeked inside. The bed was empty, and no one was there. He stepped away from the door and raised his wings. He flew up into the air, flying towards his mansion. The bird landed on his roof and entered the base through the access port. 

He needed something,  _ anything _ , that could be of comfort to him. Grian went inside his room and threw open his closet. He was tempted to grab one of his sweaters, but even just looking at them caused him pain. He instead grabbed the picture frame that he had shoved in there the night before. 

Grian looked through the closet a bit more. There were a lot of memories in there. An old school jacket, a gray sweater with yellow stars that had belonged to one of his friends, a blue ocarina with a yellow symbol on it. He picked up the ceramic instrument and sat down on his bed. 

He whistled a familiar tune, fingering it on the ocarina before raising it to his mouth and playing. The lullaby was comforting. He still remembered the notes, and it was the same satisfaction as remembering the controls to a game you haven’t played in years.

He felt better. The bird stood up, taking the frame and the instrument in his hands and exiting his bedroom. He went back to the access port and climbed up onto the roof. Sighing, Grian raised his wings and flew up into the air. 

He needed to talk to his friend.

The feathered man turned away from Mumbo’s base and flew in the direction of Xisuma’s instead. He went past Iskall’s mega tree, speeding up when he saw the Swede working on it. Grian was pretty sure he wasn’t seen.

When he arrived at the admin’s home, the lights were off.

_ That’s weird _ , Grian thought. He landed in front of the entrance. After switching the frame to his other hand, he swiftly knocked on the door. 

After a minute or two, the door opened. On the other side was Xisuma. He was wearing his helmet, but the rest of his clothes were casual. The admin wore a Final Fantasy t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. His left hand was wrapped in a bandage.

“Hey Grian!” Xisuma greeted the bird, smiling underneath the mask. 

Grian waved, but didn’t say anything. There was a very awkward moment of silence.

“Is-...Is there something wrong? Are you okay?” The bee man sounded worried.

The bird tried to speak again, but to no avail. He could only chirp and whistle. Xisuma tilted his head, clearly confused. 

“I don’t-” 

Grian cut him off with more tweets and chirps, pointing to his throat and shaking his head. 

Xisuma seemed to understand.

“You can’t talk?”

Grian nodded with a whistle. He paused and then chirped again, motioning past X to the inside of his house.

“Oh, you wanna come inside?” Xisuma asked. Grian nodded again. The admin stepped aside to allow his friend to enter. The bird hopped inside. X closed the door behind him and took off his helmet. 

Grian watched as Xisuma started walking towards the staircase. 

“Follow me.” He said, as he began climbing them. 

G did just that and walked up the stairs. The admin led Grian to what was presumably his bedroom. On the walls were posters for bands and video games that the bee man was into. He had a Doom one above his bed. On his bookshelf was a framed younger photo of himself, Alex, and Doomguy. That picture made sense now. That must have been their dad.

The lights in the room were off, but the area was still illuminated by a TV. On the screen was the pause menu for Doom Eternal. A controller was set down next to a pair of bean bag chairs. Xisuma sat down on one of them and patted the other one, inviting Grian to join him.

The bird took his frame and ocarina with him and sat down on the other chair. It was comfy. X picked up the controller and saved his game. He then went to the console menu and selected a different title.

“You wanna play?” Xisuma looked at his friend. Grian chirped to say yes. X smiled and took the other two controllers out of the docking station. He handed them to G, who had to set down his memories so he could take the joycons. 

The admin picked up his own controller and hit his profile, letting the game boot up. The menu opened, and the soft ukulele music started to play. The title screen read “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”. Xisuma hit  **A** and waited for the game to load.

As he waited, he turned to Grian. “Is everything okay? Other than the whole ‘not being able to speak’ thing, of course.” 

The game loaded and Xisuma moved his character around while still looking at G. 

Grian burst out in a series of coos and chirps, as he tried to explain what was going on. X just gave him an apologetic look. 

“Sounds like a no…Are things alright between you and Mumbo?” 

Grian nodded. 

“And you have a kid now, right?”

Grian shook his head and held up four fingers.

“Wait, you have four kids?”

The bird nodded.

“Dang…how’s that going for you?”

Grian looked happy, and then sad, and then indifferent. He shrugged.

“I’m sure it’ll feel normal sometime.” Xisuma tried to cheer G up. 

He paused for a second to call Grian’s islander to the game. The game loaded up again. The bird’s little character was now on the island. He came out of a house and joined Xisuma’s avatar. 

“Your kids are all robots, right?” 

Grian chuckled, but even that had a few chirps to it. He nodded.

Xisuma tried to think of more conversation that Grian could do without being able to speak, but he couldn’t come up with anything.

G got an idea. He pressed one of the trigger buttons on his joycon and a text bubble appeared on the screen. He started typing out a message. Slowly. 

It was always a pain in the butt to do this.

The bird typed out, “I’ve been having bad dreams again.”

X read that to himself in a mumble. He looked at Grian. “Oh no, really? Are they as bad as before?” 

Grian shook his head, to which X felt relieved. The winged man opened up the text bubble and typed out, “Worse”

Xisuma’s relief evaporated. G set down one of his controllers and picked up the photograph of him and Taurtis. He showed X.

“I-...oh...I’m sorry, Grian.” Xisuma put a hand on his shoulder. 

“It’s okay-” The bird whispered, and then froze. He coughed and looked up. “I-it’s okay.” He spoke in a shaky voice. 

“Hey! Your voice is back!” The admin smiled. “So how come you came to me?”

Grian thought about this for a moment. He was about to say that he couldn’t find Mumbo, but he didn’t even check Mumbo’s base. 

“I-...I wanted to talk to you. I haven’t seen you in a few days. Things have...happened.” The bird’s voice was raspy, and he coughed a few times. Xisuma stood up and got a bottle of water out of a chest, handing it to Grian. G took a drink and cleared his throat. 

“Thanks.” 

“No problem.” Xisuma sat back down on the beanbag. Grian started moving his character around, pulling up a few weeds that were hidden behind a tree. 

“So, I’m gonna be a superhero.” He spoke, trying to sound nonchalant and failing. 

“Really? That sounds great!” X approached a frog named Tad, one of the islanders, and talked to the frog as he replied to Grian.

“Yeah. Imma be Poultry Man. Mumbo’s helping out, since it was his and Jrum’s idea. Bdubs and Scar are also helping. Bdubs is gonna make the suit and Scar’s our magic guy.” Grian explained. He wanted to talk to  _ someone _ about it, since that always helped him gather his thoughts together.

“Does that mean Scar and Bdubs know?” Xisuma asked, moving his avatar towards another villager.

“Y-yeah. I told them” Grian sighed. 

“I’m proud of you, G! You trusted them enough to share your secret with them. That means you’re improving with trust and such.” Xisuma faced Grian and gave him a warm smile.

“I...I guess it does.” The bird smiled a little. There was a moment of silence as the two of them went around picking up shells off of the beach. A twinkle was heard and Xisuma panned the camera up. He pressed a button as a shooting star shot across the sky. It sparkled and made another twinkle noise.

“Hey...Scar asked me about the galactic and the cloak. He knows Galactic too, and...and well he seemed very urgent about the whole thing.” Grian picked up a bottle with a DIY recipe in it. “When I told him that you were the one who taught me, and that it was your cloak, he calmed down. What was that all about?”

Xisuma sighed. “He’s had some run-ins with some bad people from my native land.” He started to explain. “He was probably concerned that you had some incidents with them too.”  
“Oh...is that why he knows Galactic?” Grian asked.

“Galactic is a very old language, and many wizards and magic users tend to learn it. Scar knew it before I even met him, which surprised me. He didn’t seem like the wizarding type.” Xisuma laughed.

Grian understood what he meant. “Alright then...Why does Mumbo know Galactic?”

Xisuma smiled. “I taught him.”

G paused. “You taught him?”

X nodded. “It’s strange...I taught this kid my language, and yet I still haven’t shown him my face.”  
It was weird to hear Xisuma refer to Mumbo as a kid. Both Grian and Xisuma _were_ older than him, but Mumbo always seemed more mature than G. 

“How old was he when you met him?” Grian asked.

“Seventeen. I was twenty-three.” X shook an orange tree.

“Oh.” The bird watched the screen for a moment. “Why did you show me your face that first day you met me, but you’ve yet to show Mumbo, despite knowing him for what...seven years now?”

Xisuma stopped moving his character. He sat still for a moment. “I truly do not know.”

Grian looked down at the picture frame on his lap. “Can I ask you a favour?”

“Sure, what’s up?” Xisuma set down his joycons and turned to look at the bird. 

“Could you talk to Mumbo? I’m….I’m worried about him. His fascination with robots is turning into an obsession, and he always looks...crazed when he’s making them. Like a mad scientist or something. He barely sleeps, and it seems like he gets anxious when he hasn’t built or programmed something in a few days. I-...I know that he wanted to build a family, but...but he did it without even asking me if I wanted that responsibility. Sometimes, I don’t feel like I can get through to him.” Grian’s eyes started to well up with tears as he explained his thoughts. “And yeah, I love him, but that’s why I’m worried. He’s gonna overwork himself. I-....I know this is silly, but I don’t wanna lose him over something that could have been prevented.”

“Oh Grian, that’s not silly!” Xisuma leaned over and put his arms around his friend. He smelled like cinnamon and honey. It was calming. “That sounds like a problem. He got like that a few times in a few of the other seasons, but I don't think it was ever as bad as this. I’ll talk to him.” X let go and wiped a tear from Grian’s cheek.

“Thanks.” 

“𝙹⎓ ᓵ𝙹⚍∷ᓭᒷ, ̇/ᒷꖎᑑ⚍ᔑ” Xisuma smiled, his freckles and eyes glowing.

“I-....that’s not my name.” Grian looked confused.

“It’s the closest translation to your name in Galactic.” X explained. 

“Huh.” The bird looked down. “Cool.” His attention returned to the TV. 

Xisuma also turned back to the game. He could tell that Grian wanted to stop talking about this. “Wanna see what I did with my house?”

Grian smiled. He wanted to stop thinking about the sad stuff and just play this game with his friend.

“You know I do.” G chuckled, and followed X’s avatar across the island.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted the good vibes, so i had them play animal crossing  
> I was listening to ANCH music while typing this, and I kept thinking about all of the doomguy and isabelle drawings haha
> 
> btw, Peni, if you're reading this...  
> did you catch the thing i put in?? winkity wink wonk
> 
> ahh guys, I read every single one of your comments and even though I don't reply to most of them, i still love the things y'all say  
> Fani, SweetTea,   
> both of y'all have the nicest convos in the comments and I love getting the email notifications of them :3


	23. Little Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Communication is key

Xisuma woke up the next morning on the beanbag chair. Grian was asleep on the chair next to him, curled up in a ball, using his wings as a blanket. He looked peaceful. X stood up and stretched. He better talk to Mumbo like Grian asked him to. 

X turned off the TV (it had been on all night), and rubbed his eyes. He never slept, but recently he had been sleeping more and more. He wasn’t sure if that was good or not. He definitely felt better after he slept, but at the same time he was always disoriented.

Xisuma picked up Grian off of the chair and set him softly down on his bed. He tucked him into the bed and gave him a kiss on the forehead. Maybe it was because he saved this boy’s life, but he always felt protective of him. He felt that way of all the hermits. He wanted them to feel like a family in this community. Being the Admin, sort of made him the head of the house. It made him feel a bit fatherly, and he liked that. It made him feel more like his dad.

As he thought this, X looked up at the Doom poster above the bed. He smiled at the sight of it. 

“Love you, Dad. I’ll be back soon.” Xisuma said out loud to the poster. He exited the bedroom, taking his suit with him. He changed out of his casual clothes and into his armour in the bathroom. 

He took a look at himself in the mirror and smiled again. He was finally going to show Mumbo his face, and he felt good about that. In truth, this was something that he felt like he should have done long ago. He just...never did.

With a shrug, he walked out.

* * *

_ 7 years ago _

Xisuma was walking by himself, talking to no one, and not really paying attention. He walked right into the wall of someone’s build. He looked up, rubbing his helmet, and stared in awe at the redstone machine. 

He himself was decent at redstone, but this machine looked complicated. Xisuma started inspecting it. A voice called down to him.

“‘Ello there!” 

X looked up. Coming down a ladder was a tall man. He jumped from a few rungs up and landed in front of the Admin. The man had on a pinkish-red polo shirt, covered in redstone, and he had dark hair. He wore a pair of round glasses, and his eyes sparkled like the dust. 

“Oh, ‘ello!” Xisuma waved. He smiled too, but the man couldn’t see it. “I like your contraption! I could never do something like this! Did you design it?”

The tall man nodded. “Yup!” He smiled, and X noticed that his teeth were a bit crooked. “The name’s Mumbo Jumbo!” 

“Name’s Void, Xisuma Void.” X held out his hand for the builder to shake. He gladly did.

“Say...do you make stuff like this a lot?” The admin asked, thinking of an idea

“All the time! Redstone is my forte!” Mumbo shook his head to let the spicy dust fall out of his hair. 

Xisuma chuckled, and then smiled beneath the mask. “Hm, I’ve been meaning to find another Redstone builder for our server.”

Mumbo looked down at the Doomguy with intrigue. “Oh?”

Xisuma decided that he seemed like a great choice. “How would you like to be a part of Hermitcraft? It’s this community of creators and builders and we all just build together and make shops and bases and such. It’s really fun, and I think you’d like it.” 

Mumbo’s face filled with joy. “Really! Dude, that would be so cool! I’d love to join! I just gotta ask my parents first.”

X faltered. “Wait-...” He looked the tall man up and down. “How old are you?”

“Seventeen!” The boy smiled. 

Xisuma blinked. “You are much younger than I thought-...although, now that I look at you, you do look around that age….but, no matter! My offer still stands!”

The redstoner grinned. “Sweet! You should come with me so you can meet my mum and dad. I’m sure they’ll love you!” 

  
  


* * *

_ Present Day _

Xisuma arrived outside of Mumbo’s base and knocked on the door. He waited. And waited. And waited.

Grian had told him the previous night that he and Mumbo started spending more time at their mayoral campaign building/superhero headquarters recently. He decided to check there.

Xisuma flew up into the air with his little bee wings. Well, they only  _ looked _ like bee wings. Part of the perks of being an Admin was not needing an elytra, although he usually waited until most of the hermits got an elytra before flying. It was only fair. 

He was glad that he could camouflage his wings too. Purple wings would not match his bee vibe. Plus, that would just draw more attention to himself. 

The Admin buzzed over to the base and landed outside of a shop shaped like a robot. It was wearing sandals.

He peeked inside. Mumbo and four robots were sitting around talking. They looked a bit worried.

The littlest robot saw X first. He gasped and jumped up, running over to the door. 

“Hewwo! Wewcome to da Jwumbot Shop! I’m da managa, Jwumbot! How may I hewp you today siwr?”

The little boy was so cute, Xisuma couldn’t help but smile. 

“Well hello there Jrumbot! My name’s Xisuma! I need to talk to...uh, your dad.” X looked up at Mumbo, who was watching the two. 

“Cmon in!” The little boy bot stepped aside, letting the Admin through.

Xisuma walked over to Mumbo. “Good morning!”

Mumbo looked up from the ground he was sitting on. “Hi.” He looked tired.  _ Very  _ tired. “Have you...have you seen Grian?”

“Don’t worry, Mumbo, he’s at my house. He-...he had a bad dream last night and wanted to talk to me. We played some Animal Crossing and he passed right out.”

Mumbo let out a comically large sigh of relief. “Oh good. We couldn’t find him, and I was starting to freak out.” His eye twitched a little.

“Speaking of my house,” Xisuma changed the subject. “I need to talk to you.

“What does that have to do with your house?” Mumbo cocked his head to the side.

“Well, we need to do it at my house. It’s important.” Xisuma took Mumbo’s hand and pulled him up. The man stood and looked around. 

“I can’t leave my kids here alone. Sure, they’re responsible, but they’re also Grian’s kids.” Mumbo chuckled, but he looked very worried.

Xisuma thought for a moment, and stepped outside. Mumbo followed. They looked out at the shopping district.

The Admin zoomed in on the district with his helmet. The first person he spotted was Ren.

“Ren could do it.” X offered. 

When Xisuma said the diggity dog’s name, his ears perked up. Dog ears meant dog hearing too. He looked over at the Admin and the roboticist. He hopped on over to them when X waved to him. 

“What can I do for you?” He lowered his sunglasses a bit. His tail was wagging. 

“Could you maybe watch my 4 robot kids for me while Xisuma and I are at his base?” Mumbo asked, fully expecting his friend to say no.

“Of course!” Ren smiled. “It’ll be no problem.” The dogman did finger guns at the Redstoner. 

“Oh my goodness, thank you so much, you are a lifesaver.” Mumbo threw his arms around Ren and hugged him very tightly. 

“Yo, it’s all chill.” He laughed and pat Mumbo’s arm, waiting for the taller man to let go. He did, and motioned for Ren to enter the shop.

As the dogman walked through the door, Jrum looked up and gasped. “It’s da ponytaiw puppy man!” He jumped up and ran over to Ren. “Hewwo!!”  
Ren looked down and smiled. “Heyo, little man, name’s RenDiggityDog.” He crouched down and picked up the little boy bot. 

“I’m Jwum!!” The baby giggled and looked up at Ren’s ears. “You wook wike dat puppy man dat Scaw showed us!” 

Ren looked over at Mumbo, confused. 

“Oh, Scar was explaining a bit of werewolf logic to us, and the little figure he made out of magic was just you.” Mr. Jumbo explained.

Ren chuckled. “I see.” He looked back down at the little boy in his arms, who was reaching up towards his face. Jrum grabbed his sunglasses and put them on his own face. 

The dogman smiled. “Ayy you look rad.” He walked towards the other robots.

Grum looked up and smiled. “I’m Grumbot!” 

“I’m Amelia, and this is my twin, Circuit!” The only daughter of the group introduced herself. Her brother waved with a smile.

“Great, great, great. You’re all gonna be fine.” Mumbo was making his way outside. ‘I’ll be back...soon? I think? Be good for Uncle Ren!” 

Ren waved goodbye to Mumbo.

“Bye Papa!” Jrum called out. The other bots said bye to their father as well.

The diggity dog sat down on the floor with the robots. He set Jrum down in his lap. 

“Can I pet youw eaws?” Jrum looked up at Ren with big sparkly eyes. 

Ren laughed and bent his head down. The little baby pet his dog ears and laughed happily. Jrum saw that Ren also had a tail and giggled as it wagged.

Outside, Mumbo equipped his elytra. 

“Where’s yours?” He asked Xisuma, noticing that he didn’t have one equipped.

“Oh, mine? I don’t need it.” X demonstrated by hovering a few inches in the air with his bee wings. Mumbo looked a bit surprised. Xisuma flew higher, waving for the redstone man to follow. Mr. Jumbo launched himself into the air with a rocket and flew after the Admin, who was speeding towards his base.

“So why do we need to do this at your house specifically?” Mumbo asked as he sped up next to X.

“You’ll see.” 

Xisuma was being a tad cryptic, but that was kind of the norm for the mysterious Doomguy.

They arrived at X’s bee base and landed in front of the door. Xisuma unlocked it and stepped aside. He let Mumbo go in before him, then entered and closed the door. X walked over to the couch and sat down. He looked over at Mumbo, waiting for him.

Mumbo came over and sat next to X, looking at him. 

“So...is there something wrong?” he asked, still confused on why this was kind of secretive.

“Not really...but I need to do something that I should have done years ago.”

The redstone man watched in awe as the Admin removed his bee helmet. He had seen a glimpse of his face around a week earlier, but that was unwillingly.

Xisuma shook out his hair and looked up at Mumbo. “I’ve known you for seven years. Haven’t shown you my face. Grian pointed that out to me, and well, I thought that it was time you got to see the guy who’s been your Admin for a good number of years.”  
Mumbo studied the Admin’s face. He had purple freckles, similar to Grian’s, but more glittery and star-like. His eyes were a shimmery purple as well, and they contrasted against his tanned skin and dark brown hair. He had a bit of facial hair that suit him quite well, and his features were well-defined. His eyes looked tired, but they also showed that he laughed and smiled a lot. Xisuma didn’t look how Mumbo expected. To be honest, Mumbo wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but the reality fit perfectly, so that didn’t matter. 

“The reason we had to do it here was because I can’t breathe the Overworld air. My house was designed to allow me to be able to breathe, while still allowing Overworldians their breathing rights.” Xisuma explained.

Mumbo blinked and nodded, the words setting in after a moment. “Wait, you’re...you’re not from here?”  
“From the End, my dear friend.” 

“Oh! That makes loads more sense now....” Mumbo recalled the Galactic lessons.

Xisuma looked at his friend. He was only six years older than him, but he again felt that semi-fatherly con nection. He got to watch this kid grow into the amazing man that he was. X was one of the only hermits who got to see Mumbo with glasses and without his iconic mustache. Now the boy was a father. Even though they were robot kids, there was still a new responsible feeling about him. Xisuma was proud.

His smile faded as he thought of what Grian asked him to say to Mumbo.

“Is...Is everything alright?” Mumbo asked when X’s smile disappeared.

“Grian asked me to talk to you about your...robot obsession. His words, not mine.” X sighed.

Mumbo’s posture became tense. “What do you mean?”

  
“We’re worried about you, Mumbo. Grian told me about the anxious way you act when you haven’t made something in a bit. He told me how you aren’t sleeping, how you look kind of...crazy when you’re working.”  
The roboticist looked a tad offended. He was about to interject, but X kept going.

“And he...he feels like he can’t get through to you, so that’s why he asked me to talk to you. Of course, this is something that you two need to work out amongst yourselves, but…” Xisuma trailed off before continuing once more. “Grian told me how you sort of forced the responsibility of being a father onto him without even asking him. I know that it was unintentional, but I think that’s another thing you two should discuss.”

Mumbo stood up. “I don’t know, I just needed someone to be there for me since Grian couldn’t.” He was being defensive. 

Xisuma stood up as well. “I know, I know. I understand.” He took Mumbo’s hands. “I’m not accusing you of anything. Grian just wants to talk to you about this, but didn’t know how to bring it up.” 

The tall Englishman looked down at the Admin. “I-...Alright.” He sighed.

X smiled. “Grian’s upstairs if you want to talk to him. I need to go meet up with my brother for a moment, but I trust you two won’t blow up my home.” 

The Admin let go of Mumbo’s hands and put his arms around him. Mumbo looked like he needed a hug. 

X was right.

Mumbo hugged back and sat down on the couch while still holding X. 

“I’m just...so tired...but I can’t sleep.” The redstoner said, burying his face in Xisuma’s shoulder. 

“I understand that completely.” 

Mumbo knew that X understood. 

They hugged for a minute or two longer before Xisuma let go. 

“I’m gonna be late.” He smiled and picked up his helmet. He slipped it on and started walking over to the front door.

“My room is the one with the open door. You’ll see it if you walk up the stairs. I set Grian down on the bed before I left to get you because he’d fallen asleep on a beanbag chair. I’ll be back soon!” Xisuma waved to Mumbo as he exited. He waved back. 

Mr. Jumbo stood up again, wiping his teary eyes, and made his way over to the staircase. He climbed the flight of stairs and saw the room that X was talking about. 

He stepped inside quietly, the carpet muffling the sound of his high tops. The lights were off, but there was some natural sunlight coming through the closed blinds. Mumbo’s attention was drawn to the bed, where Grian was still sleeping. It was almost noon, so he should be awake.

Mumbo went over to the bed and sat down on the edge of the bed next to Grian. He rested his hand on the bird’s arm and gently shook him to wake him up.

It didn’t work the first time, but that was normal for Grian. Mumbo did it again while softly telling him to get up. Grian groaned and turned over, his back to his friend.

“Wake up, Grian.” Mumbo leaned over and spoke next to his ear. Grian shot up, slamming the side of his head into Mumbo’s on accident. Both put a hand to the collision area in pain.

“Oh gosh-” Mumbo rubbed his nose.

Grian rubbed a spot above his ear that hit Mumbo’s face as he laid himself back down. “Ow!” He turned to look at his buddy. “Oh! Sorry!”

“No, no, it’s my fault.” Mumbo chuckled. He was still leaning over Grian. “At least you woke up.”

Grian nodded, and then looked around. He was in Xisuma’s bed, but he remembered falling asleep in front of the telly.

“Xisuma told me he put you here this morning.” Mumbo explained as Grian looked around.

“Ah.” Grian nodded. 

A moment of silence.

“Sit up.” Mumbo told his friend. Grian did so. The tall Englishman stood up from his crouched position and sat down right next to the bird. “You wanted to talk?”

Grian let out a startled coo. X must have already talked to Mumbo for him. Now it was his turn, and he was...he was scared.

“Y-yeah.” Grian pulled his knees to his chest. “You scare me when you build stuff.”

Mumbo turned so that he was facing Grian. “I heard…” He paused. “I should’ve asked you. It was...wrong of me to just make you their dad like that.”

The bird turned so that he was facing Mumbo. “You didn’t program Grum to say that. His AI evolved, like you told me….right?”

Mumbo nodded. “But with the other 3...I kind of built that into them since I made them with the intention of being their father. For Jrum, I made you his dad since Grum already saw you as his. For the twins, I didn’t program you as their father, but they sort of adopted you as that because you were already Grum and Jrum’s…”

Grian stayed silent, hugging his knees tighter and avoiding eye contact. 

“I didn’t realize it made you uncomfortable….I can reprogram them so that they won’t consider you their dad.” Mumbo offered, rubbing Grian’s arm.

The bird looked up finally. “No, don’t-...don’t do that please.” His words were quiet and his face was red.

“But I thought you didn’t want the responsibility.”

“Well, I-...I already have it...and I love them.” Grian looked down again.

Mumbo moved his hand down G’s arm and took his friend’s hand in his own. “And they love you so much, and I do too.” He smiled.

Grian looked up as Mumbo said this, and smiled in reply. “I love you too, bro.” His wings fluttered happily as his friend smiled. Grian scooted closer and threw his arms around the roboticist, hugging him tightly and wrapping his wings around the hug.

Mumbo was caught off guard, but he regained his composure and hugged back. The hug was good. 

“I should ask you this before I do it, but...do you want another kid?”

Grian tensed up and pushed away from the hug. “W-what?!” His face was flustered.

Mumbo realized that he shouldn’t have said that, but he did anyway, so it was too late. “I found the plans to one of our old robot designs, and I thought I could build her…” He trailed off as he saw the rattled expression on his friend’s face. “N-nevermind! I won’t build another robot! It’s all good!” 

Grian saw the disappointment on Mumbo’s face, but it felt nice to be respected. “Sorry, I just-...Well, don’t you think five is a lot?”

“They’re not  _ human  _ children, so there’s less complications. And they’re really just computers programmed to have the  _ personality  _ of children-” Mumbo stopped as he said this. He didn’t know why, but referring to his kids that way made him feel distant and cold. It sort of destroyed that illusion that they were real kids. Mumbo shook that thought away, but it still sat in the back of his mind. “But you’re right. Five is a lot.”

“M-maybe someday.” Grian sat up. 

Mumbo sat up as well and looked at Grian. He was avoiding eye contact, and his face was red. It looked like he was going to cry any second. 

“Hey, G. I-...I’m sorry.” Mumbo scooted in next to his friend, and tried to give him a comforting hug. 

Grian stood up off of the bed as Mumbo was setting his arms around him. The redstoner fell onto the spot where G had just been. “It’s okay.” Grian wiped his eyes. “It’s not your fault. There’s just too much going on right now with me and I don’t wanna be an absent father, y’know?”

Mumbo nodded and got up. “I understand, dude, it’s okay.” He watched as Grian went over to the beanbag chair and picked up a picture frame and ocarina. 

“Let’s just go home. Scar has something for me today.” The bird held the items tightly. Mumbo agreed with a whistle.

G paused and turned to face his friend. “What?”

Mumbo focused and made a different whistle. 

Grian understood it as words. Mumbo had whistled, “ _ Is this right? _ ”

The bird chirped back in the bird language. “ _ Yes _ ”

Mumbo grinned. “Great!” He spoke in English. “I’ve started to study birdspeak so that I can still be able to talk to you, even when you-....” His smile disappeared, and Grian looked sad.

“That’s...very nice of you.” Grian smiled a bit and started to exit the bedroom. 

Mumbo whistled again as he followed his friend. “ _ You are very nice _ .”

G chuckled as he hopped down the stairs. “Oi, be quiet, I’m still not gonna say yes to another kid just yet.” He joked. 

Mumbo kiddingly rolled his eyes. They reached the front door and went outside. The redstoner paused and pulled out a pad of post-it notes and wrote a quick note. It read “Hey X! Grian and I headed back home! - MJ”

He stuck it on the outside of the door as he closed it behind him. “There we go!”

Grian waited for Mumbo. “If we’re both here...who’s watching the kids?”

“Oh don’t worry, we got Ren to do it. Jrum loved him immediately.” Mumbo equipped his elytra. He looked at Grian, who wasn’t wearing his cloak.

“Do you want to shrink down and I can carry you again?” He offered.

The bird nodded and willed himself down to hummingbird size. Mumbo picked the tiny birdie up, as well as the picture frame and ocarina. He set those two things in his inventory for Grian and held his friend in his hand before launching into the sky with a rocket.

They were on their way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wholesome dadsuma go brrr  
> the other scene where Ren is babysitting the kids will be part of the next chapter btw! (like a sort of "meanwhile" thing)  
> unCLE REN
> 
> wholesome vibes yes please!


	24. Friends Are Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So love me, Mother  
> and love me, Father,   
> And love my sister as well...
> 
> The cat’s silhouette, as big as a monster  
> In this concrete jungle, with streetlights hanging their heads....”

Mumbo and Xisuma had flown off, so now Ren was left with the 4 robokids. Jrumbot had climbed onto his shoulders and was petting the dogman’s ears while the others told him about their family.

“‘Melia and I are twins, as you know.” Circuit was explaining. “So our dad Mumbo had already started building us a while ago, but never finished the job.”

“But then after he finished Grum and Jrum,” his sister interjected, “Then he decided to finally finish us.”

“So Grian isn’t  _ technically _ our dad since only Mumbo built us.” Circuit added.

“He’s basically our adoptive father, but that doesn’t change the fact that we love him.” Amelia smiled.

“I see.” Ren nodded as they talked. 

“I was finished first, but I’m not the oldest.” Grum gave a joke glare to the twins, who kiddingly stuck out their tongues.

“I’m da babeeeeeey” Jrum sang. He was wearing Ren’s sunglasses. 

Grum nodded before adding, “and Dad built new bodies for me and Jrum!”

Ren replied, “Oh yeah, I was wondering about that. I thought you were that giant robot outside-”

“I am! I can control both bodies since they’re connected through a network system.” The bow-tie wearing robot explained.

“That’s pretty sweet.” Ren smiled.

“Papa built a new body fow me ‘cuz Daddy accidentawwy zappy zapped me, and I shut down.” Jrum played with Ren’s ponytail. “Don’t wowwy doh, Daddy didn’t mean it.”

Ren paused for a second. “So, Mumbo’s your papa? And Grian’s your daddy?” He asked the baby bot.

Jrum nodded with a beep.

“Are they...like, together?” 

“Oh, no, they’re just friends.” Amelia answered for her little brother. “At least, I’m pretty sure.”

Grumbot shrugged. “Well, they didn’t  _ mean  _ to be our dads. That was more my fault.” He added with a laugh.

“Whaddya mean?” The diggity dog cocked his head to the side like a confused...well, a confused dog.

“Dad forgot to make it so that my AI wouldn’t evolve. Of course, it did because of that. And I just saw these two men who I knew built me for a specific reason, but I wanted something greater than that reason. They built me, so they’re my creators. My parents, if you will. And I did.” Grum replied. “Oh man, you shoulda seen Mumbo’s face when I called him Dad for the first time! Haha!” 

Circuit laughed. “Same with Grian. Oh, his expression was  _ priceless _ .”

Jrum hopped down from Ren’s shoulders and climbed onto his lap instead. “Do you gots a mommy?” He looked up at the dog.

Ren nodded, waiting to see where this was going.

“What’s a mommy wike? I don’t got one.” Jrum asked.

The dogman was a bit surprised. He looked around at the other robots, who gave Ren a sympathetic look. They must have had to deal with questions from Jrum a lot.

“Well, they’re really nice and they love and take care of you. Kinda like a dad, but...different.” He tried to give an explanation.

Jrum sat and looked over at the door. “Dat sounds nice...I wish I got a mommy.” He seemed sad.

Ren didn’t know what to say at first, but an idea came to him.

“You kind of do.” 

Jrum looked up at him with a puzzled expression. “Nooooo, I gots a papa and a daddy. I don’t gots a mommy.”

“If you think about it, Mumbo’s kinda like your mom.” Ren had no clue what he was saying, but it was sort of making sense. “He built you and he takes care of you.”

Jrum’s eyes lit up. “I gots a mommy!” He grinned. “Cuz he wuvs me, and he’s weawwy nice, and he takes care of me! And, and, and! He’s wike Daddy, but diffewent!”

Ren chuckled. “You should call him your mom and see how he reacts.” He winked at the little boy bot.

“Tank you Uncle Wen!” Jrum jumped up and threw his arms around Ren’s neck and hugged him. 

“No problem, little man.” The babysitter smiled.

“Now I gots a papa who’s also my mommy, I gots a daddy, I gots two bwofers, a sister, and I gots two uncles! Fouw if you count Scaw and Beebubs!” Jrum let go and sat back down in Ren’s lap

“Jrum, we haven’t even met Uncle Iskall yet. And Dad never said Scar and Bdubs were our uncles.” Circuit reminded the baby.

“Dad said that we’re gonna meet him, and I think that Jrum just sees them like family.” Grum jumped in. Amelia nodded.

“Father said that we’re gonna meet all the hermits one day. And also, Iskall and Ren aren’t related to us, but they’re still our uncles.” The only daughter added.

Ren listened to the children talk. He thought it was cool of Mumbo and Grian to make this little family, even if it was made up of robots. 

Jrum gasped. “Puppy, you wanna meet my kitty and chickieeeee?”

The dogman smiled. “Course I do!” 

The tiny bot giggled and hopped up. He ran over to a bed that was in the corner of the shop. Weird place to put a bed, but it seemed oddly fitting. On the bed was a sleeping cat snuggled up to a snoozing chicken. Jrum climbed onto the bed, picked up the cat, and hopped off the bed. He took the big cat over to Ren, leaving the chicken on the bed for the moment.

“Dis is my kitty, Gewwie! I also haf anofer kitty, and her name’s Jewwie, but she wives wif Scaw.” Jrum set Grian’s cat down on Ren’s lap. He smiled and stroked Gellie’s head. She seemed a tad annoyed by the little bot, but was too lazy to do anything.

Jrum ran back over to the bed and retrieved the chicken. It clucked a few times and tried to flap away, but Jrum held on strong. 

“And dis is my chickie, Chawwie!” Jrum sat down in the middle of the circle and held the chicken in his lap. “Papa said dat he’s named after Daddy, but I fink he’s wying, cuz the chickie’s name is Chawwie, not Gwian!”

Grum laughed. “That’s Dad’s middle name, Jrum.”

A data processing noise came from Jrum as he sat, squinting his eyes. The noise stopped after a moment and he looked at his brother. “Sounds wike a wie, but okay.”

Grum rolled his eyes and ruffled his little brother’s hair. “Not a lie. His full name is Grian Charles….I don’t know his last name….” 

Ren thought for a moment. “Huh, I don’t either.” He realized.

“What about Papa?” Jrum asked his brother.

“Oh, his name’s Mumbo Oliver Jumbo.” 

“Dat means I’m Jwumbot Jumbo!” The baby giggled. “And you awe Gwumbot Jumbo! And you two are Amewia Jumbo and Circuit Jumbo! And Daddy’s Gwian Jumbo!” 

“Naw, Grian wouldn’t be a Jumbo, since he and your papa ain’t married.” Ren corrected the little boy.

“Dawn it.” Jrum looked defeated.

“It’s all good.” Ren pet the cat some more.

* * *

A little while later, they heard sounds outside. A few minutes after that, the door to the shop opened. Mumbo and Grian entered.

Grian seemed a bit off. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, but he was wearing a purple robe with a square pin. The pin had a sparkly rectangle design that shimmered when it caught the light. He was barefoot as well. His hair was a mess, and there were a few small feathers tangled in it. It looked like he was wearing contacts, since his eye colour was different. Ren couldn’t remember if Grian had freckles or not. If he did, well now they were sort of purple-ish.

And he looked tired. Not as tired as Mumbo, who looked like he had chugged a 2-liter of 5-Hour Energy. There was also a feather in his messy hair. 

“Hey Ren!” Grian waved with a smile to the dogman and the kids as he made his way over to the babysitter. The twins and Grum waved back.

“Hey G-man, how’s it hangin’?” 

“Eh...not so well, but I’m getting better.” Grian shrugged and plopped down next to Circuit on the floor. His son gave him a hug, and it took a second for the builder to register the action. He awkwardly hugged back.

“Hiya Daddy!!” Jrum smiled. 

“Hi Jrum.” Grian gave a slight smile in return.

Mumbo came on over as well. “They weren’t too much trouble, were they?” 

Ren shook his head. “They were perfect.” He looked at Jrum, waiting to see if he would do the thing they discussed.

Jrum looked at Mumbo with a huge smile. “Hiya Mommy!!” 

Mumbo, who was sort of crouched over, fell down as the baby caught him by surprise. “What?” 

“I said,” Jrum set Charlie down on Amelia’s lap and skipped over to Mumbo. “Hiya Mommy!”

“I-...I’m not your mum-” Mumbo’s eyes were wide. Grian stifled a laugh.

Before Jrum could reply, Ren stood up, looking at his watch. “Yikes, sorry my dudes, but I gotta blast. I’m supposed to meet up with Doc soon.” 

Jrum looked at Ren, who gave the baby an expectant look. Jrum sighed and handed back the dog’s sunglasses. Ren smiled and put them on. “Thank you, little man. Hey, Mumbo, anytime you need a babysitter, I’m up for it. Your kids are fun.” The diggity dog took the feather out of Mumbo’s hair and handed it to him before making his way to the door.

“Bye Uncle Ren!” The twins said in unison. 

“See ya!” Grum smiled. Grian waved.

“Bye bye Uncle Wen! I wuv you!!” Jrum giggled.

“Bye! Love you too!” Ren closed the door behind him.

Mumbo was still very much dazed by what Jrum had called him. “I-...I’m your father, Jrum.” He continued the awkward conversation.

“Uncle Puppy Wen said dat you were kinda wike my mommy, and I twust him cuz he’s a doggie.” Jrum said matter of factly. “And now I gots a mommy and a daddy!”

Grian spoke up. “Wait, you would rather have a mum and dad then have us be your two dads?”

Jrum thought for a moment. “Weww, no. I fink I’m stiww gonna caww him Papa. But sometimes I might caww him Mommy, cause sometimes you just needs a mommy.”

Mumbo looked down at his little baby boy. Jrum looked back up at him with sparkly eyes. He sat down in Mumbo’s lap and put his little arms around his waist. Mr. Jumbo’s heart softened and he hugged his son back.

“You can call me your mother anytime you need to.” Mumbo stroked Jrum’s fluffy hair.

“I wuv you Mommy” Jrum said into Mumbo’s shirt.

“I love you too baby.” The roboticist father kissed the top of the robot’s head.

Grian felt like he should look away from this intimate moment. Even though he was this little boy’s father, he felt like he was intruding on something that was too familial. 

“You okay Dad?” Circuit asked the bird.

“I’m...I’m alright.” Grian said, followed by a sigh that sounded more like a pigeon coo.

Grum scooted across the circle and hugged Grian, being cautious of the wings hidden beneath the cloak. 

Amelia joined in, and Circuit did as well.

Jrum looked over. “I wanna hug Daddy!” He hopped off of Mumbo’s lap and joined in on the group hug. Mumbo smiled and came over too. The only open spot left was behind Grian.

The tall Englishman hugged his best friend from behind, but did so very lightly. He didn’t want to hurt his wings or make him uncomfortable.

Grian normally would have felt claustrophobic beneath the arms of 5 other people, but strangely he felt fine. 

It felt...nice. 

He felt loved.

He started to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wholesome vibes only yes thank you  
> Man, thatsa lot of dialogue  
> Writing Jrum’s words are hard sometimes bc I gotta remember all the “owo” speak for him haha  
> bruh sometimes, i have to say his dialogue outloud to figure out how it would be typed lol


	25. Time Slips Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You say things with your mouth  
> Cobwebs and flies come out
> 
> I hear a second voice behind your tongue somehow.
> 
> Luckily, I can read your mind, flies and cobwebs unwind.  
> They will not take you down, they will not cast you out, out.”

A knock at the door.

The family let go of each other and looked at the front of the shop. Through the door’s window, they could see Scar and Bdubs.

“Is this a bad time?” Scar popped in and asked the family.

Mumbo stood up. “No, I think you’re good.” He looked over at Grian. 

The bird got up and nodded. He wiped his eyes with the cape. “You’re fine.” 

Jrum scrambled away from his siblings and hurried towards Scar. “Do you gots my kitty?” He jumped up and down.

Scar smiled. With the slightest movement of his hand, Jellie materialized onto his shoulders. For the brief moment, both of their eyes were glowing pure white. The white faded and Jellie jumped into Jrum bot’s arms. 

“WOAW! How did ya do dat?” The baby bot was amazed.

“Jellie’s my familiar.” Scar smiled. 

“I wanna be a wizawd when I gwow up!” Jrum skipped off with Jellie back to his siblings. 

Mumbo faltered when his little boy said that. Jrum _couldn’t_ grow up. 

“We’ll be in the back room if you need us.” Grum told the adults. He took the twins and Jrum with him to the storage room of the shop.

“So, Grian! I’ve made your suit!” Bdubs announced. 

“Already?” The caped man sounded impressed.

“I work fast when I need to.” The Boomer said as he pulled out a set of clothes from his inventory. He handed it to his friend. “Try it on!” 

Grian looked at the clothes, and was surprised to find that they registered as armour. That means he could easily equip them whenever, and he could just keep it in his inventory. 

The bird removed his cape and willed himself to his larger form. He equipped the set and smiled. The chestplate was crafted in such a way that allowed his wings to be free and comfortable.

The three got a good look at their super buddy.

Grian wasn’t wearing a mask just yet, but he was clothed in a pretty unique set of armour. He wore a gray metal chestplate with orange marks on it. Underneath the chestplate, he wore a collared shirt with the collar open. Grian wore pauldrons with the same sort of design as the chestplate, and they were attached with leather straps. The straps pinned in the middle with a circular emblem. It was a symbol of a chicken head. 

The bird wore bright orange gloves with taloned hands that matched the bright orange boots he was sporting. His bottom half, aside from the boots, was a bit more casual. He wore a brown buckled belt and a pair of bluejeans. 

Grian was grinning wide. 

“Do I look cool?” He asked

“ _Super_ cool” Mumbo winked, and then frowned. “Wait a second, Bdubs, did you take some of my clothes to make that?”

BdoubleO chuckled awkwardly. “Whoops, maybe I did?” He totally did.

Mumbo smiled. “It’s fine. I was just confused on why those looked like mine. Good to know that I should change the locks on my doors.”

Bdubs hadn’t used the doors.

Scar nudged Bdubs. “What about the mask?”

The Boomer’s eyes lit up. “Oh yeah!” He pulled the final item from his inventory and gave it to Grian.

Grian put it on, pushing his hair back.

The bird was wearing a chicken mask that covered the top half of his face. Attached to the mask was a pair of black headphones with a bright orange mark on them. His hair was pushed back in a feathery way.

Grian thought this was the coolest thing. He felt like...himself again.

“Oh this is perfect!” Grian looked down at himself and laughed.

“It looks awesome!” Mumbo couldn’t take his eyes off of the man. 

Bdubs was absolutely ecstatic. “Yes! Oh man, it’s turning out great! I’m so excited!” He ran around Grian, inspecting how the armour fit, noting any adjustments that would need to be made in his head.

“I don’t think anyone will recognize you.” Scar studied the superhero. 

Grian felt relieved under that promise of animosity. He looked at his arms with a smile that quickly melted away as he saw a feather popping out of his glove. 

“Hope that I’ll be around long enough for this all to be worth it.” He sighed.

Grian took off the mask and shook out his hair. His fringe fell back over his forehead, but not before Mumbo spotted something.

“Er, Grian? You have something right there.” The robotisict pointed at his own forehead.

Confused, Grian removed one of his gloves and moved away his hair with his hand. His heart stopped as he felt a small feather on his face.

_Crap_

At the sight of Grian’s crestfallen expression, Scar stepped towards him. He pulled on his arm, so that Grian would lean over. When he did so, Scar whispered in his ear, “I have the potion.” 

Grian stood up straight and looked at the other two men. “Uh, we’ll be back in a moment.”

Mumbo looked puzzled for a second, but shrugged it off. “Alrighty! Bdubs and I will be with the kids if you need us.” 

Bdubs nodded. 

Before Scar could pull Grian out of the shop, Mumbo took the bird’s hand. “Hey. You are amazing. Don’t forget that.” 

Grian felt Mumbo squeeze his hand and hold the eye contact for several moments too long. The superhero slowly nodded, which resulted in the release of Mumbo’s grip. The roboticist smiled and let cod boy and wizard chap leave the shop.

* * *

Scar and Grian were down in the Poultry Man HQ. Scar figured it was the safest place just in case something went horribly wrong.

But things wouldn’t. Because Scar was a great wizard.

At least, that’s what Grian had to keep telling himself over and over again. 

The bird had removed his armour and set it aside. He was normal size again and was more anxious than ever. 

Scar pulled out a potion bottle full of an opalescent swirling liquid. It shimmered and sparkled in the sealantern light.

“You should sit down.” He told his friend. Grian gladly did so. He sat quietly, panic coursing through his veins like the electricity that coursed through his entire body.

“Now I need to preface this by reminding you that I am not a transmutation wizard. This kind of potion isn’t in my expertise, but I tried to cross reference the requirements with multiple different sources, and I feel pretty okay with how it came out. Now, it hasn’t been tested yet, so I don’t know if it actually works but….” Scar sighed. “I’ll just cut the crap. Grian, I don’t know what this potion will do. I don’t know if it’ll do anything at all. It could have a terrible side effect, I just don’t know…Now that you know...do you still want to try?”

Grian hesitated, but nodded. “I need any chance I’ve got. I got stuck speaking like a bird last night. I don’t know how long I have.”

Scar solemnly looked at the potion bottle in his hands before handing it to Grian. “Alright.”

The bird removed the cork with a _pop_ and raised the neck of the bottle to his lips. He held it there for a second, feeling a tinge of hesitation. He pushed the thought away and threw his head back, downing the potion in a single swig. Grian held the empty bottle in his hand and wiped his mouth and stood up.

“Is something supposed to happen?” He seemed shakily, and he couldn’t tell if it was just his nerves or if it was a potion side-effect.

Scar had his back to Grian as he rearranged his inventory. “Well, this potion is supposed to slow down your rate of change, not reverse it. I don’t think anything’s supposed to hap-”

_Poof_

Scar slowly turned around, fearing the worst as he heard the tell-tale noise of a potion effect.

In the calmest voice he could muster, Grian said, “Holy fork I am going to scream.” 

The potion seemed to have the exact opposite effect from what they had been going for. Grian’s arms had more feathers than before, and now there were feathers on places all over his body. Feathers stuck out from the sides of his face and his glabella. He even had feathers on his chest, sort of like a replacement of chest hair.

He looked very... _fluffy_.

He wasn’t covered in feathers, but he had quite a few on him now.

“Oh my gosh, Grian, I am so sorry, I should have tested it on something before giving it to you, oh I’m so dumb-”

Grian held up a hand. “It-...It’s okay-”

Although he was speaking slow and calmly, the bird was freaking out in his head. 

“I-...I just have less time than I originally thought.” He muttered. He sat back down on the bed, staring down towards nothing. He tried blinking away the tears but they refused to leave. 

Scar rushed to his side. “Hey! We’re going to figure out a way, okay! I’m not gonna lose you, we’re not gonna lose you!” He put his arms around his feathered friend and hugged him tightly. “And don’t worry. I think I can reverse this. The potion effect at least. If I get in touch with a few members of my old guild, we could work together to help you. How does that sound?”

Grian was focusing on keeping his breathing steady and calm. He felt comforted as Scar softly spoke to him. 

“That sounds nice.” The bird quietly cooed as tears slipped down his freckled face.

“Alrighty.” Scar gave him a tight squeeze and let go. “Well, I guess now it’s time to face the others.”

“N-no.”

Scar looked at Grian. “Whaddya mean, ‘no’?”

“I’m not going back up there.” Grian scooted back and wrapped himself in the comforter. “Not until I’m fixed.”

“Oh Grian.” The wizard sighed. “That’ll take at least a few days. You can’t stay down here until then.”

“Yes I can.” Grian’s voice was muffled beneath the pillows and blankets.

Scar realized that he wouldn’t be able to change the bird’s mind. “Fine. I’ll tell the others that you weren’t feeling well.” He stood up off of the edge of the bed and put the empty potion bottle into his inventory. He walked towards the lift. “I’m immensely sorry, Grian.” 

“It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known.” Grian sniffed.

Scar entered the lift and went up above the water.

Grian curled into a ball, his hand against his feathered chest. 

“I don’t wanna be a birdie.” He cried softly into his wing and pillow. 

He layed in the bed for what seemed like hours, but was really only 15 minutes. He heard the quiet whirring of the lift as it brought someone down.

Grian didn’t move, and didn’t look at who it was. The visitor sat down on the edge of the bed. 

“Grian?”

It was Mumbo.

“No.” The bird said, muffled. He didn’t want to talk to Mumbo.

“Grian, Scar told me you weren’t feeling well. Is everything okay?”

The bird cooed in a way that sounded like “No.”

“Grian, please take off the blanket so we can talk.” Mumbo set his hand down the blanket.

“No, go away.” Grian replied.

“Grian-”

“Fine.” The bird sat up, still burritoed up in the blanket, hiding his face from Mumbo.

Mumbo was reasonably concerned. “Take off the blanket. Please. I want to see what’s wrong.”

“I don’t-”

“ _Please_ ” Mumbo pleaded with his best friend.

Grian thought for a moment. He supposed he couldn’t hide the feathers forever. Even with the potion Scar was going to work on, they wouldn’t be able to prevent the inevitable.

Slowly, Grian slipped the blanket off from him. He felt exposed as Mumbo’s wide eyes ran up and down his newly feathered form. 

“Oh my goodness.” The roboticist muttered. Grian felt ashamed and judged. He felt awful.

He wanted to cry again.

Mumbo reached towards Grian, but the bird chirped in protest and jumped away. He shook his head in a panic and tried to cover himself again with the blanket. Mumbo tried again. He scooted closer and calmly took the comforter away from Grian. 

The tall Englishman set his hand down on Grian’s arm and gave his friend a smile. “You are amazing.”

Grian shook his head again. “No, I’m not. I’m awful. Can’t you see what I’m becoming?”

“What I see is my best friend. I don’t see a bird. I see you, Grian.” Mumbo scooted even closer and put his arms around the anxious man. 

Grian’s heart rate increased. “But I’m a bird.”

“You’re not a bird yet, G. Please. Take the time you have left and spend it with me. I can help you see the good that lies inside you.” Mumbo leaned back and tapped his finger over the bird’s heart. Grian looked up at his friend, who was smiling in the kindest way. 

Things always felt better when he was around Mumbo.

“What good?” Grian wiped his teary eyes. 

“There’s so much good. You’re a great builder, a great friend, a great father. You really fun to be around, and the server has been so much fun with you around. You have great ideas, and, well, I just think we make a great team.” Mumbo took Grian’s hands and named off the positives. 

“Really?” 

“Really.”

Grian relaxed his tensed shoulders and threw his arms around Mumbo’s neck. “Thank you. I’m glad that I’ve got a friend like you.” 

Mumbo chuckled as his friend’s feathers tickled his arms. They were soft and fluffy. They felt more like the down of a baby chick than they did the feathers of a full grown bird. 

Grian let go when he heard Mumbo’s laugh. “What?”

“Oh, sorry, it’s just that your feathers are really quite nice.” He ran his hand over Grian’s arm. “Quite soft.”

Grian pulled back his arm. “I-...I don’t know what to say to that.” 

“Don’t say anything. Just come back upstairs with me.” Mumbo ran his hand through Grian’s hair. 

The bird reached up and took Mumbo’s hand, pulling it down from his face. “Fine. You win.” 

Mumbo smiled. “Great.”

“One condition. You gotta carry me.” Grian shrunk down to hummingbird size and hopped into Mumbo’s open palm. 

“No problem.” The roboticist lifted his hand up so that Grian was at eye level. The bird came towards him and put his tiny hands on the man’s face. He gave him a tiny kiss on the nose, similar to the one he had given to X. 

Mumbo chuckled and gave Grian a smile as he stood up. 

He made his way over to the lift, Gri in his hand.

“We’re gonna save you, G. Trust me.” Mumbo said as he pressed the elevator button.

“I trust you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beep bop, i have a HUGE headache and so the writing is not as good as it could have been  
> It’s okay though, i probably just need like, water or something haha
> 
> My description of the armour is terrible, but I posted a drawing of it on my instagram
> 
> Also, my mans is floofy now >:3


	26. The Rise of Poultry Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’ve been so good, I’ve been so good this year”

Mumbo had taken Grian back up out of the base and into the shop. Bdubs and Scar had left after the wizard vaguely explained the bird’s situation. 

“Still can’t believe Bdubs broke into my house like that.” Mumbo sighed. “Wait, no, I can actually.”

Grian sat in the robotisict’s hand as they entered the Jrumbot shop. It was around 2 in the afternoon, but G was still tired. He had only woken up two hours earlier. 

When Mumbo entered the shop with Grian seemingly not with him, Grumbot was confused. 

“Is Dad okay?” The gap-toothed bot asked. “Is he still down in HQ?”

Grian popped up out of Mumbo’s hand. “I’m right here.” He called out in a high voice. Grum hopped over the front counter and made his way over to his parents. 

“Aw look at you Dad!” Grum leaned down towards the tiny bird. Mumbo chuckled and Grum scooped his father up in his cupped hands. “You’re feathery.”

The bird sighed. “Don’t remind me.” 

Grum turned around to face his little brother, who was colouring in a book with a crayon. “Hey Jrum, take Dad for me.” He set the superhero down on the book in front of Jrum.

Grum turned around again and started talking to Mumbo about his new programming.

Jrum giggled when he saw his tiny dad. “Hiya Daddy!” He picked up his father in his robotic hands and pet him with his finger. “You feew soft!” The baby bot observed.

Jrumbot cradled the hummingbird man in his hands like a baby and started to hum. Grian looked up and was amazed by the amount of wonder and awe in the boy’s digital eyes. As Jrum pet his feathers, Grian realized that he’d never told his son how he felt.

The bird sat up and climbed up Jrum’s finger and hand so that he was closer to the baby’s face. The bot continued to giggle, making it hard for Grian to hold a straight face.

“Jrum,” He began. 

“Yes Daddy?” Jrum stopped giggling and looked attentively at his feathered father. 

“I-...I love you.” Grian finally said.

Jrum’s smile was one of the greatest things that the builder had ever seen. “I wuv you mowe!” He brought his hand to his face and lightly kissed the top of the bird’s head.

Grian laughed a little. This felt really nice. Why hadn’t he done it before?

Well, he knew why he hadn’t.

It had always been hard for Grian to tell someone that he loved them ever since he lost Taurtis. So many people before him knew that he loved them. Taurtis knew. Sam knew. P-...

He lost his train of thought. He had forgotten who he was thinking of. He shrugged it off, but there was still a lost memory tugging at the back of his mind.

“Grian, did you hear me?” 

Mumbo had been talking to the bird. G looked up and blinked, coming back to reality.

“Oh, uh, sorry, I was...never mind. What did you say?” 

Mumbo smiled and crouched down next to Jrum’s hand. “I said, are you ready to test out your abilities in your supersuit?” 

Grian stopped and looked at himself. His suit would cover up his feathery parts. With a slow nod, he stood up and hopped out of Jrum’s hands. “Yeah, I guess.”

He willed himself to his hero size, but in doing so let loose a stray bolt of electricity. It shot past Grumbot’s head and he jumped back.

“Woah!” He looked at the newly charred spot on the wall behind him.

“Gah! Sorry!” Grian apologized. 

He could feel the 3 sets of eyes on him (the twins were in the backroom still) and he felt very uncomfortable. As quickly as he could, the bird equipped his armour. He struggled with his hair as he tried putting on the mask. It kept falling back down.

Mumbo watched as Grian failed to correctly wear the mask, and got an idea.

“Hold on a moment, I can help!” The tall Englishman ran to the backroom and came back with a container of hairgel. “Could you sit on the floor for me?” 

The bird complied and sat down. He removed his mask and held it in his hands.

Mumbo unscrewed the lid of the jar and started applying the gel to the front part of Grian’s hair. He slicked it back enough to allow the mask to be worn easily. The roboticist smiled at his job and screwed the lid back on. He set the gel aside and wiped his hands on his pants.

He took the mask from Grian’s gloved hands and gently put it on the bird. G reached up and adjusted it slightly.

“Thanks.” Grian said while standing back up. Mumbo smiled at his friend’s deeper voice. 

“Of course! Now should we go out?”

Grian froze. “Wait, ‘go out’, like...on a...date?”

Mumbo burst into laughter. “N-no!” He said in between wheezes. “I meant, go outside the shop!”

Grian felt his face burn up beneath the mask. He coughed and tried to sound nonchalant. “Yeah! I knew that. I was...joking-”

Mumbo gave him a quizzical look but still smiled. “C’mon you dork.” He took Grian’s taloned glove and excitedly pulled him outside. 

* * *

Jrum hadn’t looked up since Grian had left his hand. He was too busy drawing in the book. The little boy took an electric blue crayon and drew lightning around a doodle of a big black bird. 

* * *

“Try flying around!” Mumbo stepped back to get a good look at his heroic buddy. He looked amazing, and the roboticist hoped that his friend felt amazing.

“Okay.” The hero nodded and raised his wings. He meant to just hover, but he ended up shooting himself into the sky. “AH TOO MUCH!” He yelled as he flew above the clouds. “Guess I’m not used to the power of my wings yet.” The bird sighed and lowered himself down so that he was only a little bit off of the ground.

Mumbo was grinning. “Okay, _that_ was pretty cool.”

Grian smiled. “Thanks.”

The superhero looked out over the shopping district. “I’m gonna fly over the server to get a feel for my flight capacity, y’know? I’ll be back soon.” 

“Yeah! Go ahead! Whatever you need to do! I’ll be down in HQ with the kids!” Mumbo seemed eager to let his friend feel comfortable with his wings.

Grian flew a bit higher and soared over the shopping district. A few of the other hermits were there, and looked up in puzzlement at the flying man. They couldn’t tell who it was, but it didn’t look like anyone they knew. 

Scar was setting up posters around the district and spotted the hero in the sky. He smiled as Poultry Man looked down and waved to him from above. He waved back.

Grian flew in the direction of his mansion. He zipped around the partially unfinished wrenches of Mumbo’s base and flew around Iskall’s tree. He felt free. 

He loved it.

With his wings came his ability to see like a bird. Grian was able to spot a figure, which he figured was Iskall, working on the tree. He hadn’t seemed to notice the flying hermit yet. 

Grian watched his friend from afar. He didn’t really know why, but he felt like something was about to happen to him.

The bird watched closely as the Swede made a wrong step and fell off the tree. Grian panicked for a moment, but was relieved when his friend glided up with his elytra. 

But then the elytra broke.

And Iskall fell.

Grian shot to action.

He zipped towards the falling hermit, who was yelling out in Swedish. His eye was closed, so he still didn’t know that there was someone flying towards him.

The bird flew past Iskall and caught him as he was near the ground. Iskall hadn’t stopped yelling.

“You’re okay, I’ve got you.” Grian tried his best to sound not like himself.

Iskall uncovered his eye and looked at who had caught him. 

“WOAH! A superhero! And you saved me!” The slime-enthusiast’s smile was wide as Grian lowered down to the ground. He set the Swede down and stood in front of him.

“Yup! I saved you!” Grian spoke heroically. He faltered and looked away. “Wait, I saved you!” The reality had set in. He pushed his joy back so that he wouldn’t be recognized.

“Thank you!” Iskall grabbed one of the hero’s gloved hands and shook it vivaciously. “What’s your name?”

“Oh, I’m Poultry Man!” Grian firmly shook the man’s hand. 

“Well, hallo there Poultry Man! I’m Iskall!” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Iskall! Now, you should check your elytra’s durability before you work on a project!” The hero reminded him.

“Aye, I should’ve.” The Swede laughed. “Welp, I better get back to work!”

“And I better blast outta here!” Grian smiled and waved to the builder before launching back into the sky.

He felt amazing.

He had saved someone! And that someone hadn’t recognized him!

Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as Grian feared!

The bird flew back towards HQ. He couldn’t contain his excitement, as shown by the little sparks that jumped from him as he soared through the sky. He made sure to swoop low and take a back way so that the hermits wouldn’t see him entering the headquarters. 

He sneakily landed behind TVGrumbot and entered the elevator code. The back door to the elevator opened up and Grian got in, taking him below the water.

Mumbo looked over as he heard the whirring of the lift. The doors slid open and Grian ran out, grinning wide. He ran towards Mumbo and picked him up in his arms, hugging him tightly. 

“Gah! Can’t! Breathe!” Mumbo gasped for air. 

“Oh! Sorry!” Grian set his friend down, but continued to hop around in joy.

“Haha, what happened to you?” Mumbo asked the bird.

“I SAVED SOMEONE!” Grian removed his mask and set it in his inventory. His eyes were bright and his smile was radiant.

“Already?” Mumbo felt the same excitement rush through him. 

“Yeah! I saved Iskall! He fell from his tree and his elytra broke! I caught him! I-....I saved him.” Grian looked down at his hands. 

“You did great Grian! I’m so proud of you!” Mumbo tackled his big buddy with a hug, almost knocking the man over. Grian laughed with glee as he finally started to feel okay with his wings. 

“You’re amazing!” Mumbo let go and looked up at the hero. 

“You really think so?” 

“ _Think_ so? Pshh, I _know_ so! C’mon let’s go tell the kids!” Mumbo grabbed Grian’s hand and pulled him to where the kids must have been hanging out.

Grian followed eagerly.

Mumbo was proud of him.

_That_ made him feel amazing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :))))))  
> OHHH PENIIIIIII  
> Did you see   
> The thing  
> I wrote  
> Hehehee  
> I am v hap and I learned that it is INDEED possible to write fluff while listening to Karma
> 
> Also today, I drew FWMumbo as the Once-ler (so...Mumbonce-ler or Mumce-ler), and then I also started drawing Mumce-ler with NPCSmurfGrian on his shoulder and Barry Beesuma Benson on his hat  
> Yes yes, i have drawn many cursed things lately
> 
> Also this chapter was short bc I started writing it at like...8:30 and I have to go to bed in a few minutes or so bc my parents want to fix my sleep schedule before school starts next week (even though they won’t be able to)(and also even though my school is all online this year)


	27. Bittersweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “And you can skyrocket away from me  
> And never come back if you find another galaxy  
> Far from here, with more room to fly  
> Just leave me your stardust to remember you by.”

Mumbo took Grian to the room where the robokids were in. They were sitting in a circle, playing Uno with a very dusty pack of cards. At least, three of them were playing Uno. It seemed like Jrumbot was making his own rules.

“GO FISH!” He yelled as Mumbo and Grian entered the room. As he saw them, he dropped his cards with a gasp. 

“DADDY!” The baby jumped up and ran over to his fathers. “You wook so coow!”

Grian chuckled happily and crouched down. He kissed the boys head and gave him a bear hug. He was still in his hero form, so Jrum looked even tinier compared to his dad. 

G lifted his son as he stood up, holding him above his head in the air. “I love you so much!” He grinned and brought his arms down, smothering the baby in kisses. 

Mumbo felt an immense joy seeing Grian act so fatherly to their son. The twins and Grum watched with smiles as the bird came over to them. He crouched down in the spot where Jrum had been sitting and extended his big arms, waiting for them to hug him.

Grum jumped at the chance. He loved hugs, and couldn’t get enough. He didn’t miss the days when he was too big to hug. He threw his arms around his big dad and laughed. The twins got up and hugged Grian as well. Jrum was in the middle of the hug. The bird looked over his shoulder at Mumbo, who was smiling wide. 

“Well, don’t just stand there. C’mon!” Grian said with a deep laugh. Mumbo grinned like an idiot as he went over to his family. Grian hadn’t closed his arms yet, for he was waiting for his friend. Mumbo crouched down and hugged the children, and felt G’s big arms close around him. 

The hug lasted for a few minutes.

Grian let go and sat down from his crouched position. The kids sat next to and around him, waiting for him to tell them why he was so happy. Mumbo hadn’t moved yet, but G held out his hand. The roboticist took it, and the bird yanked Mumbo towards him. Grian caught the man in his arms and laughed his nice, deep laugh. The bird hugged Mumbo tightly as he started to explain.

“I saved someone today.” Grian grinned. 

“That’s great! Who’d ya save?” Circuit was very invested in his dad’s heroism, as were the other children. Jrum looked up at his big dad in awe and respect. 

“I saved your Uncle Iskall from falling off of his giant tree! And he didn’t recognize me! And he’s safe now!” Excited sparks of lightning jumped off of Grian, a few accidentally zapping Mumbo. The tall Englishman flinched as one shocked what felt like his entire nervous system.

Grian didn’t notice.

Mumbo didn’t say anything. He couldn’t bear ruining his friend’s good mood. Grian needed this, and if Mumbo told him what he accidentally did, the bird would go back to hating himself. 

Mumbo bared the pain.

“Daddy’s a hewo!” Jrumbot cried out in joy and jumped up and down. Amelia and Grum gave their father a proud smile. Circuit got up and started looking over his dad’s supersuit, totally geeking out. 

It was something that Mumbo would have done.

Grian often forgot that the twins were essentially built to be clones of Mumbo, since their personalities seemed to be unique enough. Sometimes there would be little bursts of personality that reflected that of their father. G always thought that was fascinating, but then again, real children were a bit like that, weren’t they?

Another jolt of electricity shot off, hitting Circuit. It didn’t seem to affect him, and he didn’t really react. Grian again did not notice.

“Why don’t we do something tonight to celebrate the beginning of Poultry Man?” Amelia suggested. Mumbo smiled at his daughter. A tiny zap made him flinch again, but he tried to cover that up by pretending to sneeze. 

“Bwess you!” Jrum looked over at his father.

“Thank you, dear.” Mr. Jumbo told the baby, and then looked back up at Amelia. “I think that’s a wonderful idea!” Mumbo rubbed his nose.

Jrum picked up the dusty deck of cards. “Did these make you sneeze?” He asked Mumbo. The roboticist looked at Jrum again. 

“Perhaps.” He smiled, and returned to the conversation with Amy.

Jrum squinted at the deck and then sniffed the dust. 

He sneezed and dropped the deck. Grian and Mumbo instinctively said “Bless you!” to Jrum. Grian returned to the conversation, but Mumbo hesitated and looked over at the baby when he realized what happened.

“How did you sneeze? You don’t have those kind of sensors-” 

The conversation between the twins and Grian paused. They stopped talking to see what was going on.

Jrumbot shrugged and rubbed his nose like Mumbo had done, and giggled. 

“I think he’s just imitating you” Grian leaned his head down and spoke in a low voice next to Mumbo’s ear. “He wants to be like you.”

The roboticist smiled and held out his arms for Jrum. The boy skipped on over to his fathers and jumped into Mumbo’s arms. 

“I’m a hooman!” The little baby laughed and pretended to sneeze again. “Just wike you and Daddy!” 

Mumbo’s smile faded as a realization set in. Jrumbot wanted to be like his fathers. He wanted to be human like them. 

That hurt the redstone man’s heart. 

A small jolt of electricity shocked him back to reality. Grian stood up, causing Mumbo to fall over, since he had been leaning against the bird.

The man sat up, still holding Jrum, who was chewing on his oversized T-shirt. Grian held his hand out for Mumbo to take, which he gladly did. The bird pulled Mumbo up quickly. His strength, although known, still caught the engineer off-guard. 

“I’m gonna go clean up real quick, I’ll be right back!” Grian chirped and ran out of the room, his boots making heavy thuds as they hit the ground.

Mumbo waited until his friend had left before rubbing one of the sore spots where Grian had unknowingly zapped. 

Jrum squirmed his way out of his father’s arms and ran after Grian. The twins chuckled at their little brother’s enthusiasm. Grum, however, was more focused on Mumbo.

“Is everything alright, Dad?” 

Mumbo blinked and looked at his sweater-clad son. “Huh? Oh, yeah, everything’s great.” He smiled.

Grum raised an eyebrow. “Okay….” 

Grian had run out of the room and towards a dressing room they had set up. He entered and looked at himself in the mirror. His face was red with joy and his hair was tousled and windswept. His eyes sparkled and he couldn’t stop smiling as he looked at himself in the suit. 

But...his eyes were drawn to his wings very quickly. His smile dropped, his laughter ending abruptly. A sudden feeling of disgust ran through him, and he didn’t feel as great as he just had moments ago. With hesitation, he unequipped his armour and got a good look at his semi-feathered body. 

He wanted to throw up. Every feather just cemented the fact that some day, very soon he assumed, Grian would be a bird and wouldn’t be able to be a hermit.

A bout of pent-up anger flared up in the man. He clenched his fists as he blinked away tears. He stared at his reflection, but it felt like he was looking at a stranger. 

No, not quite a stranger. More than that.

He felt like he was looking at his worst enemy.

Hateful lightning shot from grian and hit a lightbulb. It shattered.

The longer Grian looked at himself, the angrier he got. His hands surged with power and electricity. He drew back his arm and punched the mirror with all his might, yelling out.

He shattered the mirror into thousands of shards, and completely destroyed a good number of blocks around him as he exploded with lightning. The room was now dark, and he stared at his fist. It was scuffed up, but not as much as it should have been. He felt tears running down his face. He leaned over the sink and turned on the water. 

The bird splashed his face with cold water. He turned the handle of the faucet to turn off the water, but ended up breaking the handle off in the process.

Grian stumbled back and fell against the wall behind him, cracking the block. He slumped down and started to sob. 

He had felt so amazing a minute ago. Why did he feel like trash now?

He felt like a monster, the kind that could snap at any moment. He looked down at his hands, little branches of lightning still shooting between his fingers. 

His heart sank as he realized what he felt.

He felt fear.

He felt unease and anxiety. 

He laid down on his side and sobbed, cover his head with his big arms. The room around him was now dark and partly destroyed. It was his fault.

He didn’t hear the door creak open.

Jrumbot followed his father to the dressing room and waited outside the door for him. He hummed happily as he waited, but stopped when he heard a vengeful yell from inside. 

He was scared. Not for himself, but for his dad. Was he okay?

The baby heard the sounds of destruction inside the room, and heard something fall against the wall.

He needed to check if his father was okay.

Jrum managed to open the door after a minute of trying to reach the handle and slipped inside. The room was dark, and felt very cold, but there was a faint smell of ozone.

Jrumbot spotted his father’s crying body laying down amongst the debris.

“Daddy?”

Grian looked up, his sobs got quiet, and his heart sunk further as he saw the little boy’s digital eyes. 

Jrumbot thought of him as a hero. 

How would he react when he learns his father caused the destruction in the room.

“Are you okay?” The little boy sounded like he was crying. No tears came out though, since he was only a machine.

Grian sniffed and stayed quiet. He didn’t know why, but he hadn’t shrunk down to his normal size yet. What was he waiting for?

Jrum rushed over to his father, worried that he was hurt. 

“Daddy?” The baby pulled Grian’s hand away from his face. The bird slowly sat up, still limply against the wall. 

Jrum started to panic. Why was his dad so sad now? What happened? 

The baby quickly climbed onto G’s lap and hugged him as best as he could. “Pwease! Don’t cwy! I stiww wuv you!” Jrumbot sobbed. It was a digital noise, but the sadness was just as legitimate as a real kid’s could be. 

Grian froze as his baby hugged him, trying to cheer him up. Did Jrum already know that G saw himself as a monster?

The bird sadly put his arms around the little boy, who was laying against G’s feathered chest. Grian slid further down the wall until he was almost laying fully down on the floor. 

Through his tears, he managed to choke out the words, “I love you too,” before breaking down in sobs again. 

Jrum hugged tighter. 

“Daddy! You’we a hewo! You’we a good pewson! You’we my hewo, Daddy!” Jrum cried to his father. He wanted his dad to smile. He wanted his dad to always be as happy as he was when he was telling them about his heroism. 

Grian clutched the little baby tighter. “I love you” He said again, before he picked the child up off of his broad chest. He held him up in the air and smiled, tears running down the sides of his face. 

Jrum held out his arms and his father held him up. He grabbed down at the air with his little hands.

Grian got the hint and lowered the baby, bringing Jrum’s face above his own. The bird chuckled through the tears as Jrum smiled. He touched his nose to his child’s and felt...proud. He was proud of this machine he’d help create even though he found it hard to be proud of himself. 

But this little robot was making it easier to feel okay. 

Grian remembered the reason he was doing the superhero thing. 

He was doing it  _ for _ Jrum. 

Jrum needed him.

Jrum loved him.

And he loved Jrum.

And he needed Jrum.

Jrum was doing this  _ for _ him.

Grian sat up, not limply this time. He set Jrum in his lap and ruffled the boy’s hair. Jrum laughed, a noise that pushed the darkness away. 

Jrumbot knew his father hated himself. He knew that the wings and feathers hurt Grian. 

Jrumbot wanted to try and paint the feathers and such in a better light. 

The baby laid his head against the bird’s chest and pet the feathers. His breathing, which was an unnecessary thing for a robot to do, was slow and peaceful. He snuggled himself up against the feathers as he pet them.

Grian stared down at the baby in amazement. Jrum liked the feathers. Jrum liked Grian for who he was. He needed that. 

The bird felt himself shrink down to his normal size as his breathing slowed. Tension lifted off of him, and he felt like falling asleep. He hugged his baby to his chest and kissed the top of his head.

“I wuv you, Daddy. We aww wuv you, and we wanna see you be happy! Papa built us so that you would be happy with him. He made us, cuz he wuvs you a wot, and this is his way of showing it.” Jrum spoke quietly, but Grian heard him just fine.

The hero smiled, the tears still blinding him. 

The door opened. 

“Grian, is everything-”

Mumbo froze as he saw the inside of the room. Broken glass was everywhere, and the right wall had a sizable portion of it completely destroyed. It was dark, the only light coming from Grian’s wings, Jrumbot’s eyes, and from behind the tall Englishman. 

Grian was sitting up against the left wall, which was cracked. His face was slick with tears, and he clutched Jrum against his chest. 

Mumbo was reasonably panicked. He rushed inside and fell to his knees by G’s side. “Are you okay?!” His voice was high with worry and fear. 

Grian chuckled as more tears slid down his face with ease. He nodded slowly, not looking at Mumbo.

The roboticist threw his arms around Grian and hugged him as tightly as he could. 

“The feathers got to you again, didn’t they?”

Grian faltered as Mumbo softly spoke those words. 

Mumbo understood.

He wondered how things would be different if he had just trusted Mumbo from the very beginning, rather than push him away and hide behind X like a scared child hides behind their father. 

Grian felt Mumbo’s breathing become choppy, and G knew that Mumbo was crying. 

Why was he crying? Grian didn’t want Mumbo to cry. He shouldn’t have to cry because Grian hated himself.

_ He’s crying _ , Grian thought,  _ because he cares. He wants me to be okay. My...happiness lets him be happy. _

But Mumbo started to quietly chuckle. The bird realized that he wasn’t crying because he was sad. He was crying happy tears. 

The tall Englishman looked up at G’s confused face and smiled. “He thinks you’re the greatest thing ever.” Mumbo moved his hand to stroke Jrumbot’s hair, not breaking eye contact with Grian.

“I think the same of him.” G spoke in a whisper. 

Silence.

Then Mumbo spoke up again. 

“Sometimes, I hate myself too.” 

Grian felt an emotion he couldn’t describe. It was like worry and panic, mixed with a sense of protectiveness and love. He wanted to tell Mumbo that he shouldn’t hate himself, because there was nothing to hate.

He stopped himself though, because Mumbo could easily say the same thing back to Grian. 

“But it’s alright. It’s hard to hate myself when I’m surrounded by the people who I love, and who love me. Like you….and the kids, of course.” The Redstoner added that last part quickly. 

Grian picked up Jrum off of his chest and set the sleeping baby down on a cushion that was on the ground. With his arms now free, Grian turned himself towards Mumbo and gave him a hug. “Can you teach me how to do that? How to...not hate myself?”

Mumbo hugged the bird back, being careful of his wings. “I’ll do my best, my dear.” He spoke in a very formal sounding voice. Grian knew that he was both kidding and serious about the “my dear” part. 

Grian was about to speak up when his heart swelled with warmth. A peaceful feeling ran through him. He didn’t know why. After a moment, he realized that Mumbo was stroking his wing. It felt...really nice. His heart rate and breathing slowed, and he relaxed his tense shoulders. 

He leaned against Mumbo, resting against the man as he continued to pet his wings. 

Each time his friend touched his wings, Grian felt his eyelids grow heavier. G was so hesitant about his wings, but somehow they were making him feel better in this moment.

Mumbo began to hum as Grian slid down and rested his tired head on the man’s lap. With a chuckle, the redstone man ruffled the bird’s hair before continuing to pet his wings. Grian stretched them out and rubbed them against Mumbo’s hand like a cat rubs against their owner’s hand. The birdie cooed in contentment. 

Jrumbot woke up slightly, and saw that he was no longer in Grian’s arms. He saw that his father was comforting his dad, and that felt nice. The baby tiredly climbed off the cushion and crawled on his hands and knees over to Grian. He wiggled his way underneath the bird’s arms and snuggled against the warmth. 

Grian warbled sweetly and nestled his face against the baby.

Mumbo’s soft humming turned into soft singing, as he comforted his friend. 

“ _ If you’ll be my star, I‘ll be your sky. You can hide underneath me and come out at night. When I turn jet black, and you show off your light, I live to let you shine. I live to let you shine.”  _

Grian heard the words get quieter as he drifted off to sleep in the dark, destroyed room, Mumbo comforting him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starts out wholesome, goes angsty, then wholesome again  
> Rollercoaster right here haha
> 
> I gtg so that’s why the notes are short ahHHH


	28. Dance Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Invite all your friends

Grian had a dreamless nap, but he woke up when someone gently shook his shoulder. He groggily opened his eyes and saw that he was in the bed inside the shop. Grum stood next to the bed, his hand on his father’s arm. 

“Wake up, Dad.” The robot was smiling. “We set up the little party!”

Grian sat up, noticing the burning sensation on his scars. He tried to ignore it as he looked around at the rest of the family. The inside of the shop was brightly and warmly lit, and the other bots were all sitting around. 

Jrum was sitting atop a jukebox, spinning a record on his finger. Amelia and Circuit were sitting on the counter, talking to each other. After a moment, Mumbo walked in the door. He came on over to Grian and hugged him. 

“Are you feeling better?” He asked the bird, giving his wing a gentle pet. 

Grian cooed happily and nodded. Mumbo pulled him out of the bed and spun him around. He seemed...happy. He also seemed extremely tired. 

“When was the last time you slept?” Grian asked as Mumbo stopped him spinning.

“Uh…” The redstoner had to think about it, which wasn’t a good sign. “I do not remember.”

The bird sighed. “After this, please sleep.” 

“Alright, alright” Mumbo laughed sweetly. 

“Father made more cookies!” Amelia held a peanut butter cookie towards Grian, who hungrily took it. He took a bite and smiled. 

“This is really good.” He said with his mouth full. 

“Thanks!” Mumbo’s smile was bright. 

He looked over at Jrum with a wink, and the baby giggled and put the record in the jukebox. 

Mumbo’s favourite music disc, Chirp, started to play. Grian felt strange. It was like he had an involuntary reaction to the music. He started to dance, suddenly remembering what happens when you play music around a parrot. 

He felt silly, but Mumbo joined in next to him. 

“Haha I can’t stop.” Grian laughed as him and his best friend vibed.

“What do you mean?” Mumbo looked at him. The song ended and Grian stopped dancing. 

“I meant, I couldn’t stop when there’s music...I guess.” The bird chuckled and looked away. Mumbo smiled and glanced over at Jrum again, who removed Chirp and put in Stal in the jukebox.

Mumbo extended his hand to the already toe-tapping bird and smiled. “Care to dance?” He offered.

Grian smiled and rolled his eyes. He took the man’s hand, and Mumbo spun him around until he was in his arms. He turned him around and took a more ballroom-dance style position.

The two danced through the song, until at one point when Mumbo stumbled over his own long legs and the two tumbled onto the ground laughing. 

Grian stopped laughing and just stared at Mumbo’s joyful expression. The man’s face was red from dancing and laughing for the past 10 minutes. When Mumbo heard Grian stop laughing, he did as well, and opened his eyes. Grian just stared at him. 

Mumbo smiled. “Is everything alright?” 

“Huh? Oh, uh, yeah.” Grian awkwardly chirped and stood up, extending his hand to help Mumbo up as well. The redstone man took it gladly and the bird pulled him up. 

The rest of the little “party” went pretty much the same way. The men danced together to various music discs, the kids joining it on it too. 

Near the end, Mumbo and Grian were getting tired. Jrum took out the last music disc and set it aside. 

“Dat’s da end!” He giggled and fell backwards off of the jukebox, letting Grum catch him swiftly. 

Mumbo hugged Grian tiredly, as he began to sing a final song. 

“ _ No, I’m not afraid to die...It’s every breath that comes before...Heartache, I’ve heard, is part of life...And I have broken more and more. _

_ But I can hope how this will end: With every line a comedy. That we could learn to love without demand but with unreserved honesty…” _

The two of them swayed back and forth as the redstone man sweetly sang. 

The second verse was a duet, and Grian knew that. He joined in on the song, much to the surprise of Mumbo. 

“ _ If I’m not afraid to die and you were crouching at my door and suffering, is all to gain in life, then what is all this waiting for? _

_ Cuz I can see how this will end...in all its bitter tragedy. I’ll give you all I have to spend.. and you’ll give nothing back to me.” _

Mumbo looked at Grian as he hummed the instrumental part of the song, both of them singing the musical interlude. He couldn’t help but smile at the fact that his friend knew one of his favourite songs. 

Mumbo sang the last verse quietly next to Grian’s ear. 

“ _ And I will wait for this to end, the back and forth, the battery. _

_ For you at last to comprehend...the kind of love of which I speak.”  _

“Aww look at ‘em.” Amelia nudged Circuit’s arm. “They’re so cute!” 

Circuit looked up and smiled at the sight of their fathers holding one another as they sang.

Jrumbot covered his face and giggled. “Awww!!” He jumped up and ran over to them as the song ended. “You wuv eachuva!” 

Grian looked down at the boy. “Yes, we do Jrumbaby.” He picked the bot up. “As friends, though.”

Mumbo smiled. “Yup, as friends.” 

He glanced at Grian, and made eye contact with him. The bird quickly looked away. 

“Pshh okay weww dat’s wame.” Jrumbot jokingly rolled his eyes, and then proceeded to give his fathers a kiss on their cheeks.

Grian kissed the baby on the forehead before handing him to Mumbo. 

“Do you mind if I head down to the HQ to sleep?” Even though he had just slept for hours, he was still tired. This whole ‘becoming a bird thing’ was sometimes just a bit much on his energy.

“Not at all, G. I’ll tidy up and then sleep in here.” Mumbo smiled and kissed Jrumbot’s forehead and gave him a good hug. 

“Promise?” Grian gave Mumbo a skeptical look as the man went around, kissing the rest of the robots on the forehead.

“I promise.” Mumbo rolled his eyes and came over to Grian, giving him a kiss on the forehead as well, the feathers tickling his face.“If I don’t sleep, I give you permission to kick me.” 

“I didn’t know I needed permission for that.” The bird joked, not reacting to the kiss. 

Mumbo smiled as Grian waved and made his way outside.

* * *

Down in the HQ that night, Grian sat on the bed. He put his hand on his forehead where Mumbo had kissed. 

“Goodness, I’m confused.” He mumbled and laid down. He hoped for another dreamless sleep, but it seemed like Mr. Sandman had other plans. 

* * *

_ Grian made his way through the void. His dream void. _

_ It felt more inviting this time, like an old friend. _

_ Perhaps it was because he saw an old friend. _

_ Standing in the void was a girl. She had purpley-gray skin, and dark purpley-gray hair. Her eyes were yellow and she had glowing blue ram’s horns that were transparent, almost holographic. She wore a gray sweater with yellow stars.  _

_ Grian’s heart lept when he saw her. He rushed over to the girl, towering over her. He realized he was in his hero form.  _

_ She looked up when she saw him, and smiled very wide.  _

_ “Hey G!” She laughed. “Looks like you’ve grown up quite a bit!”  _

_ Grian smiled, tears of joy filling his eyes. “Well, it’s been a few years, Sunshine.”  _

_ The girl smiled at the old nickname he had given her back in highschool. _

_ “Grian.” She held open her arms for a hug. The bird jumped at the chance, wrapping his big arms around her. He picked her up and held her off of the ground, hugging her tightly.  _

_ “I missed you.” G cried onto her sweater. _

_ She didn’t reply. _

_ He heard someone else’s voice instead _ _.  _

_ “Who are you talking to?”  _

_ Grian opened his eyes. His arms were empty except for a gray sweater with yellow stars. He turned to where the voice was. _

_ It was Taurtis.  _

_ “I-...I was talking to-” _

_ “No, I know who you were talking to. Face it, Grian. P’s gone.” Taurtis spoke in a harsh tone, one that did not fit him at all. _

_ “I-” _

_ “Shut up, Grian. You never have anything good to say.” _

_ G stumbled back. “W-what?” His voice broke as he started to cry again. _

_ “Look at this crybaby.” Taurtis smirked and yanked the sweater out of G’s hands. “He misses his girlfwiend.” The headphone-clad man laughed and began to tear the sweater up. He threw it on the black ground and spat on it. “Pathetic.” _

_ Grian fell back onto the ground. “Taurtis would never do that!”  _

_ “How would you know?” T bent down and stared daggers into Grian’s frightened eyes. _

_ “Did you ever really know us?” More familiar voices. Out from behind Taurtis walked Pearl and Tom. Both had the same disgusted expression as Taurtis.  _

_ “Did you ever really care about us?” More voices. One exactly like his, while another a British text-to-speech. Out from behind the others walked Robot Grian and a normal looking Grian. The bird knew that he had to be NPC. He was covered in blood, and his eyes glowed red. _

_ “We did EXACTLY what you wanted us to do.” NPC got in close, grabbing Grian’s arm.  _

_ “We were your friends, and you abandoned us.” Tom glared at Grian.  _

_ “I never-...I always….” Robot Grian was having a hard time saying bad things about Grian. That’s what Grian programmed him to do. He couldn’t say anything negative, only compliments. _

_ “Oh, I  _ **_love_ ** _ you, Grian.” The robot spoke with clenched teeth and gripped Grian’s other arm tightly. It hurt. A lot. Even the words, although positive in denotation, burned like acid when spoken by the robot. _

_ “You wanted to get rid of us.” Familiar voices. Too familiar.  _

_ His robot kids walked out from the void and towards Grian.  _

_ “You neva wuved me.” Jrum came up to Grian and shook his head.  _

_ “N-no! None of that is true! I-” The bird couldn’t finish what he was saying. His friends and family closed in on him, until everything became as dark and cold as the void that suffocated his dreams. _

_ He woke up in tears. _

* * *

Grian cried out into the darkness, shaking and crying. “I’m sorry!” He yelled to no one. He couldn’t move, the despair weighed him down too much. 

He needed something comforting, but nothing was around. He remembered how calm he felt when Mumbo touched his wings...

Maybe that would work now.

Grian moved his wing over his shoulder and slowly reached over to touch it. As he pet his own wing, he felt even worse. He felt physically ill, and wanted to throw up. He pulled his hand away and cried into his pillow, feeling so empty. So cold. So utterly alone. 

He needed someone. 

He couldn’t remember how long it took him to muster up the energy and the courage to get out of the bed. He felt so scared.

He ran towards the elevator.

The next thing he knew, he was outside of the Jrumbot shop. The lights were off.

Grian opened the door, shivering under the cold night wind, and rushed inside.

Mumbo was asleep on the bed, hugging Jrumbot. Charlie and Gellie sat near the end of the bed, asleep next to each other.

Grian hurried to Mumbo’s side. 

The man looked so peaceful, but Grian needed his help. 

Grian shook Mumbo’s shoulder. 

“H-hey Mumbo” He tried to whisper, but he ended up just mouthing the words. He tried again, shaking his friend’s shoulder harder this time. 

“Mumbo. Please I-...I know you’re sleeping and you need to sleep, but I really need your help.” He spoke louder, and it was obvious that he was crying.

Mumbo opened his eyes slowly. “Hmm?” 

“I-..This sounds silly, but I had a nightmare.” He felt so childish saying that.

The redstoner didn’t seem to notice. “Do you wanna talk about it?” He mumbled in a sleepy daze. 

Grian nodded. “I...I also would like a hug...if you want, at least.” 

Mumbo smiled, his eyes closed. He scooted over and set Jrum on the other side of him. He left a spot open for Grian.

The bird laid down on the bed next to Mumbo, who wrapped his long arms around him. Grian clung to him and tried to hold back tears. 

Mumbo pet the bird’s wings and Grian felt loads better already.

“A-actually...I don’t wanna talk about the dream.” It suddenly felt so secretive. So personal. So...unimportant.

“That’s alright.” Mumbo said quietly, half-asleep. 

“Can I-....can I stay here?” Grian asked in a high voice. Mumbo nodded. 

The man began to hum as he sleepily stroked the birdie’s pretty wings. 

“ _ You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...you make me happy when skies are gray...you’ll never know, dear, how much I love you...please don’t take my sunshine away.” _ The man sang the lullaby softly.

Grian started to cry again.

“W-what’s wrong, G?” Mumbo was concerned.

“Nothing...it’s just that...That song brings back memories.” Grian sniffed and wiped his eyes. Mumbo paused and then nodded again. He understood.

“Actually I gotta go get something…” He slid off the bed. 

“Should I come with you?” Mumbo asked, about to sit up. 

“N-no...You stay here. I’ll be back soon.” 

Grian ran out the shop door.

* * *

The bird had flown to his mansion. The flight was uneventful, and no one spotted him, which was good. He was now in his room, looking in his closet. He pulled out the gray sweater with yellow stars. 

Grian wanted so desperately to wear it one more time. But, that would hurt his wings. 

Was it worth it?

He decided he couldn’t risk it. He needed to fly back to the shop and he didn’t have another elytra. 

He tied the sweater around his waist and flew back to Mumbo.

* * *

He walked into the shop, letting the door close behind him. Mumbo was tracing lines on Jrumbot’s face while mumbling to the baby how much he loved him. The father looked up as Grian entered. The bird took the sweater off from around his waist and hugged it like it was a stuffed animal. He climbed back into the bed, clutching the sweater, and waited for Mumbo to face him.

The man gave Jrumbot a final kiss on the cheek and flipped over, his back now towards Jrum and his face towards Grian.

The bird nestled his head up against Mumbo’s chest.

“What did you get?” Mumbo asked while resuming his petting of his friend’s wings. 

“Memories.” Grian whispered, although Mumbo heard him loud and clear.

It wasn’t long before both men drifted off to sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doot doot  
> I love to make characters SUFFER  
> Ugh i have school tomorrow and i still have not done the notes i had ALL summer to do whoOPS  
> Also I released part 6 of SSAU yesterday!
> 
> I have nothing else to say at this moment in time haha


	29. And So It Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is it confidence you hold? Or is it fear?

Grian woke up, cradled in Mumbo’s arms. His friend was asleep still, but G was a bit freaked out. Why was he here? He struggled to get out of the man’s arms, but the redstoner stayed asleep and gripped him tighter. 

“Mumbo!” Grian whisper-yelled as his friend hugged him. “You’re suffocating me!”

The taller man didn’t wake up. He hadn’t slept for days, and seemed to be in a deep sleep. Grian rolled his eyes and shrunk himself down. He narrowly avoided getting squished by Mumbo’s arms, but he zipped on out. He flew above his snoozing buddy and saw Jrumbot asleep next to him.

Grian swooped down in front of the baby and landed on his chest. He poked the boy’s face, even though it was metal.

“Wake up, Jrum.” He told the robot. 

Jrum’s eyes snapped open. “I’m not asweep!” He giggled and sat up, catching his feathered father in his hands. “I was pwetending!” 

Grian titled his head. “Why?”

“Cuz I didn’t wanna distuwb you and Mommy!” Jrum smiled. “You two awe sooooooo cute!!” 

The bird’s face became red. “Your mother? You mean-....oh, Mumbo.” Grian looked over at his friend, who lazily flipped over and hugged Jrum (and by extention, Grian) in his arms like a teddy bear. 

Jrum found delight in this. He held his cupped hands to his chest and snuggled up against his father, holding his other dad close. 

Grian started to feel a little claustrophobic. It was like his dream void, but much more real. 

He started to panic, and started sparking. Little jolts shot off of him and ran through Jrum’s metal body, exiting the baby and zapping Mumbo.

Needless to say, the mustachioed man woke up with a jolt. Literally. 

“Wha- who’s there?!” Mumbo sat up, still clutching Jrum and Grian. 

“Sorry! That was me!” The bird managed to chirp. 

The redstoner looked around, confused, but then realized that he was holding someone. He loosened his grip and looked down at the beaming face of his little baby boy. 

In his hands was a shaking feathered mess. 

“Oh, good morning!” Mumbo smiled sleepily, his eyes half-open and his hair messed up. Somehow, his mustache remained pristine. 

Grian hopped out of Jrum’s hands and ran down the comforter to the edge of the bed. He glided onto the floor and grew to his normal size. 

“You need to keep sleeping.” He stepped on over to Mumbo and gently pushed him down against the mattress with his hand. 

Mumbo’s smile remained. “Whatever you say, G.” He yanked on Grian’s arm, pulling his friend down onto himself. The tall Englishman hugged both the bird and the bot that were against his chest. 

“Ack, not with me!” Grian pulled himself off of Mumbo and laughed. As he got up, he grabbed the gray and yellow starred sweater that was next to his friend, tying it around his waist. “I need to go out as Poultry Man. Establish myself as a hero, y’know? I’ll be back later.”

Mumbo chuckled. “‘Aight. See ya later.” He kissed Jrum’s head, still hugging the baby. 

Grian rushed out of the shop. He popped back in a second after he left. “Love you!” He waved to the two of them. Mumbo smiled. 

“I love you more!” 

“Huh? Oh that was meant for Jrum, but haha, I love you too bro.” G winked with a smile. 

Jrum giggled. “Well, I wuv you two da most!” 

“I can confirm that that is correct.” Grian laughed and rushed out again.

Mumbo tickled Jrum, which worked since the boy had touch sensors. “I love you even more than the most!” He kissed the baby’s face before hugging him close and falling back asleep. 

Grian felt giddy and happy after the night before. He scarcely remembered his nightmare at the moment, and that felt good. He felt comforted with Sunshine’s sweater around his waist. 

He missed her.

He wished she could come back.

But she was dead, he knew that.

He always wondered….how  _ did _ she die? All he remembered was that they were walking together, and then...they weren’t. She was gone and he was left with the knowledge in his mind that she was dead. 

Did she ever have a funeral?

He couldn’t remember.

He pushed those thoughts aside and went behind TVGrumbot so he could equip his armour unseen. 

He took P’s sweater and put it in his inventory. 

The bird willed himself to his hero size and quickly put on his supersuit before zipping up into the sky. He flew high and looked over the shopping district. It wasn’t long before someone spotted him. 

It was Iskall. 

“Hallo Poultry Man!” The Swede called up to the bird and waved him down. He was standing with a few of the other hermits, namely False, Stress, and Scar. 

Grian swooped down and landed in front of the gang. All of them looked up at him in awe and quite reasonable confusion. 

“Hello!” Grian did his best to not sound like himself. Everyone could see his wings, but since he was anonymous, he didn’t feel that same crushing anxiety that plagued him so often nowadays. 

“Ah, yes, hello Poultry Man!” Scar smiled and greeted his friend. He did a good job of acting like this wasn’t Grian. 

“This is the hero guy I was telling you about! He saved my life!” Iskall beamed.

Stress studied his outfit. “I quite like ya suit! And ya wings! Very pretty!” 

Grian smiled underneath his mask. “Aw thanks!” For some reason, the compliment wasn’t hurting like it would. 

Strange.

“So, who are you? Are you a hermit? A whitelisted member? A trespasser?” False examined the hero. Despite being much taller than her in this form, Grian felt slightly intimidated. “Does Xisuma know you’re here?”

Grian took a slight step back. “Yes, Void knows I’m here.” He made the decision to try and act and speak differently than he normally would. Calling X “Void” was one of his ways. “We’re friends. And please forgive me if I’m hesitant to give away information about myself. A hero’s secret identity is important to them. Well, to me, at least.” 

False nodded. “I get that.” 

Stress started to say something, but her eyes went wide. She pointed behind Grian at Bdubs, who was carrying a sword and appeared to be in a daze. He was on a higher cliff, and was nearing the edge of it.

“I’ll be right back!” The bird said before zipping off towards the cliff, right as Bdubs stepped off. Grian caught him, but the sword fell and stabbed itself into the ground below. 

Bdubs was...asleep. 

Why was he up there?

Poultry Man returned back to the gang, carrying the sleeping hermit. 

“You saved him!” Scar looked very happy and rushed to his friends, holding his arms open for Bdubs.

“Any idea why he was up there? And why he’s asleep?” Grian asked, handing the Boomer over to the candidate. 

“He sometimes gets into the habit of sleepwalking when his narcolepsy gets bad.” Scar chuckled. “He’ll be fine now, thanks to you!”

The others came towards the hero. 

“That was amazing!” Stress smiled wide. 

“You’ve got good reflexes.” False gave him a thumbs-up.

Iskall was ecstatic. “Oh man, that was so cool!” He looked up at the hero with bright eyes…well, one eye and one glowing robot eye.

Grian stood confident. “Well, thank you! I’m here to help!” 

The praise felt great. It made him feel loved and strong. 

He felt amazing. 

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I want to get a better feel for the layout of the land.” The bird flew a few feet in the air. 

The group gave more praise with their goodbyes.

“Thank you!” Scar waved to the hero.

Bdubs, who was being carried in Scar’s arms, started to wake up as Grian left. “Huh? Was that...was that Gr-” He stopped talking when Scar gave him a look to “be quiet”. 

He backtracked. “I mean, was that a superhero?” He was kind of bad at lying, but no one really thought anything of it.

Grian flew high in the sky and soared over the server. He couldn’t help from grinning and laughing out loud in joy. 

He felt so good. He was a hero, and people believed in him. They loved him. They thought he was...cool. 

G knew that was a dumb thing to care about, but there were always people who thought he was strange. It just felt nice to be looked up to for once, both literally and figuratively. 

Grian didn’t want this feeling to end. 

He spotted Xisuma leaving his base and flew down in front of him while he was locking his front door. When X turned around, he jumped. 

“Oh! You startled me!” The admin examined the hero, realizing that it was actually just his friend. “Grian? Is that you?”

The bird nodded and removed his mask. “I told ya I was a superhero now!” He smiled.

Xisuma couldn’t help but feel happy at the joy that Grian felt. “That’s great! You look great!”

“I’ve even saved people already! And the others don’t know who I am, and they admire me!” He beamed.

X knew how much this meant to his friend. “Oh, Grian, I’m so proud of you!” He hugged the tall man, who hugged back much tighter. “This is going to be great for you!” 

“Yeah! I guess it will be!” 

After a moment of hugging, Grian let go of Xisuma. “I just stopped by to say hi, but now I’ve got to go!” He smiled. 

Xisuma nodded. “Best of luck out there, Poultry Man.” He winked. Grian chuckled and put his mask back on before flying up into the air. 

The rest of his day was eventful. He introduced himself to more hermits. None of them seemed to recognize him as their 5’6, high-voiced, gremlin buddy. 

That meant Bdubs’ disguise (and Grian’s hero form) was working.

It was later that evening when Grian finally made his way back to the base.

He staggered down the lift and out its doors when they opened into the headquarters. Mumbo was down there with the kids.

Grian was tired, but drunk on excitement.

“I’m a hero!” He laughed and stumbled towards his family. Mumbo somehow caught him as he fell. 

“That’s great! Are...are you alright?” Mumbo looked a tad concerned.

“Haha oh, I’m great! I’m greater than I’ve ever been! All thanks to you bro!” He sleepily took Mumbo’s face in his hands and gave him a kiss on the cheek. 

Mumbo smiled. “I think you’re the one who needs sleep now.” 

“You’re...probably...right…” As Grian spoke this, he shrunk back down to his normal size. Staying in the big form tired him out quickly. “I’ll just go to bed.” He unequipped his armour and stood up out of Mumbo’s arms, dragging himself to the bed that was down in the base. 

“Should...should we leave?” Mumbo asked the half-asleep bird. 

“Doesn’tmattertome” Grian’s words slurred together in his tired daze. The last thing he remembered before falling asleep was Jrumbot giving him a kiss on the forehead.

  
  


Grian woke up the next day. 

He was sore all over, but a good sore. The kind of sore you get after working out. He stood up out of bed and groaned. His arms had a few more feathers than before.

He was slipping away, wasn’t he?

Mumbo was sitting at the table in the headquarters by himself, drinking a cup of coffee. For once, he seemed well-rested, although his hair was a bit messy.

Grian made his way over to his friend. 

“Morning.” The bird yawned and stretched out his wings. He chirped a few times as he wrapped his arms around his friend from behind and rested his head on his shoulder.

“Good morning, Grian.” Mumbo smiled and reached up to G’s arms, petting the feathers that came out of it. The bird cooed with content and let go. 

“What’s on the agenda for today, my fine feathered friend?” Mumbo asked before taking a sip of his still-hot coffee.

“I think I’m gonna go out as Poultry Man again. It’s really nice to be loved and admired like that.” 

Mumbo frowned. “But, G, we love and admire you here too.”

Grian rubbed his sore arm. “Yeah, but it feels different from them. They don’t know who Poultry Man is, and I think that’s part of why it feels...good. They don’t know he’s me. They don’t know that I’m...a bird.”

Mumbo sighed. “Grian, you haven’t gone out as yourself in so long.” He paused. “I didn’t want to tell you last night, since you were tired and it probably would have ruined your mood, but…”

“What. What is it?” Grian shrunk down and hopped up onto Mumbo’s arm. 

“Scar told me how people are worried about you. Iskall hasn’t seen you in a couple of weeks, and he came by the shop asking where you were. I panicked, not knowing what to tell him, so I said that I didn’t know where you were at the moment, but that I had seen you the day before.” 

Grian sat silently on the redstoner’s arm. “Ren’s seen me.”

“Yeah, but even then you were acting off.”

The bird looked down. “Well, what am I supposed to do?” He wiped his eyes that were starting to tear up.

“Maybe someday, come clean?” 

Grian tweeted in fear. “I don’t want them to know!”

Mumbo looked down at his tiny friend with a look of pure sadness. “Grian...how do you think this will end? Your problem won’t go away. One day, you’ll be a bird, and then everyone will know. Even if you did manage to hide once you transformed, everybody will think you went missing. I can’t lie and tell them you ran away, or died, or disappeared. How would I explain the giant bird that suddenly appeared one day. Besides, Xisuma, Scar, Bdubs, and I already know. You know that we love and appreciate you so much, and that we’ll be right by your side, no matter what. But...it’s up to you. Tell them, or don’t. They’ll know in the end.”

Grian was taken aback. He didn’t know what to say. “Alright.” 

That’s all he could manage to say.

He turned around and hopped off of Mumbo’s arm. 

“Are you going to consider what I’ve said?” The redstoner’s eyes held so much regret in them...but from what?

Grian didn’t know.

“I’ll think about it.”

He grew to his hero size and equipped his armour. The air between the two of them felt cold. 

His steps were heavy as he walked over to the lift.

“I’ll see you later.” Mumbo sighed and downed the rest of his coffee.

Grian nodded. “Yeah.”

The doors closed to the lift, and as the elevator ascended, Grian’s descent began. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Djshfdjhfjskdhfsjkfh i think i have found a more organic way of flowing the points I need for the later parts of the chapters. Things are really gonna start going after this chapter, and oH BOY I AM EXCITED  
> I almost made the mistake of rushing through it, which would have been terrible  
> So glad I chose to slow down the pacing haha  
> Also I wrote this chapter partly last night as well as today, so if the writing seems clunky, it’s because I’m dumb and I don’t looks back on things I wrote before.  
> In the Snapshot AU Discord server, I was explaining to them my concept of Featherswap (a swap AU for FW) and oh man it got me excited for other stuff haha  
> I also started working on a FW animatic using the song “Birds” by Dodie  
> It’ll be p simple and quick, hopefully up in the next few days or so if I don’t lose interest in it


	30. Split Paths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Seasons, they will change  
> Life will make you grow.  
> Dreams will make you cry, cry, cry.  
> Everything is temporary  
> Everything will slide.  
> Love will never die, die, die.”

Grian equipped his armour as the lift rose up to ground level. 

“I’m never going to tell them.” He said to himself as he slicked back his hair with the hair gel he kept in his inventory. He put on the mask and waited for the doors to open up. 

Once the lift doors opened up from the back of TVGrumbot, Grian zipped right into the air. He mumbled to himself in a deep voice a few times, trying to get into the “vibe” of Poultry Man. He was still trying to figure out who Poultry Man was. 

Poultry Man, Grian decided, was confident and a leader. He didn’t care what people thought of him, and he was okay with compliments about his appearance. 

Essentially, he was the opposite of Grian’s comfort zone. But that was the point. If he could act in ways that Grian wouldn’t, then no one would suspect a thing. 

The hero spoke outloud with a smile. “I love myself.” 

It felt good to say that. 

Back down in the HQ, Mumbo sat at the table, staring blankly into his empty coffee cup.

He was scared for Grian. Something felt off. 

Their conversation was cold and harsh at the end. They hadn’t been like that since Grian was hiding the wings.

Was he hiding something else from Mumbo?

Mumbo felt ashamed as he remembered that he was hiding things from Grian as well. 

“Dad...You’re crying.” 

Mumbo looked up, blinking as he came back to reality, as Circuit sat down opposite of his father. He brought his hand to his face and felt where tears had rolled down his cheeks. 

“Oh, haha, I, uh, didn’t notice.” Mumbo sniffed.

“Did you and Father have a fight?” Circuit sounded worried.

Mumbo laughed at the idea. “Of course not! He’s just...not having a great time becoming a bird, y’know?”

Circuit nodded. “You want more coffee? There’s still some left, and I can get it for you!” He seemed eager to help out.

Mumbo faltered. Children don’t offer to help their parents like this...do they?

Circuit waited for his father to respond, but Mumbo stared off into space. It suddenly dawned on the roboticist what the central purpose of the twins were when he first started building them.

They were made to be his assistants. 

Not his children.

His robot helpers.

Not his kids.

His heart started to hurt as he thought about that. 

“Circuit, dear…”

“Yes, Dad?” 

“Do you feel like I treat you like my kid or….or as a machine?”

Circuit seemed surprised by that question. “As your kid, of course!” He paused. “Hm, to be fair, I haven’t been anything but a machine, but...who says I can’t be both?” The boy smiled and it was a reflection of Mumbo’s old middle school photos, minus the glasses and crooked teeth.

The twins only had one eye each. The reason that Mumbo told himself was that he only had enough materials to give them one eye each...but that was a lie. He could have easily given them a second eye when he finished them up. 

The twins were supposed to be him, and he didn’t want them to have crooked eyes like him, since that was one of the things he was embarrassed about. The same went for the teeth. 

“I’ll get that refill for you, Dad.” Circuit picked up the cup and gave his father a kiss on the cheek before heading to the counter to fill the mug.

Mumbo sighed and thought about Grumbot. He had given him a gap in his teeth when he built that new body for him. He wanted to try to come to terms with his insecurities by giving that aspect to his robot. 

Grum seemed fine with it, and thought it was funny. 

_ He’s a robot,  _ Mumbo thought.  _ He doesn’t have the need for insecurities. _

The redstone man felt cold as that thought ran through him. He tried to shake it away. 

It was getting harder and harder for him to see his children for anything more than robots. What was wrong with him?

Perhaps it was because his kids looked too robotic. 

An idea came to him as Circuit set down the coffee-filled mug in front of the man.

“Thank you, dear.” Mumbo stood up, taking the mug in his hand. He gave the boy a kiss on the head before running towards his workshop with a grin on his face.

He slid into the room and took a big swig of coffee before setting down the mug and running around the workshop, grabbing materials and redstone. He pulled out a set of old blueprints and tacked them to the board. 

“If she looks human, maybe then I won’t see her as a robot!” Mumbo declared outloud to himself. 

He was about to begin his work when he remembered what he had promised Grian.

“Oh.” 

He sat back on his office chair. Grian didn’t want another kid.

He rubbed his eyes as he leaned over. His leg was bouncing up and down, and he felt shakey. His heart raced and he began to feel anxious. He needed to build  _ something _ . 

He didn’t know why, but he felt like something terrible might happen if he didn’t.

“Grian doesn’t need to know.” Mumbo told himself in a low voice. “And if Grian finds out...I’ll just…” He trailed off. “Well, that doesn’t matter right now. What  _ does  _ matter is building my daughter!”

He jumped off the rolley chair with energy and started his work on his fifth robot.

He picked up a pencil and wrote in a name on her blueprints in big swooping letters.

It read, “Sahara Jumbo”.

He smiled and grabbed his tools.

* * *

  
  


Grian flew around the server, making sure to look out for anyone who might be in trouble.

“Or might  _ be _ trouble.” Poultry Man squinted as he spotted a suspicious figure walking towards Xisuma’s base.

The hero dove down and landed in front of them.

“What are you doing?” He looked down at the man. It was Alex. 

_ That’s strange...doesn’t he only come at night? _

“Grian?” The banned Admin looked up at the giant in front of him.

The bird jumped back in surprise, chirping with panic. “H-how-....I mean,” He cleared his throat and regained his composure. In a deeper voice, he said, “No, I’m not Grian.”

“You’re kind of terrible at that.” Alex rolled his eyes. In his arms he held a yellow and orange striped cat who was purring. 

With a sigh, Grian dropped his act. “I’m still working on it...How did you know it was me?”

Alex smirked. “You’re the only idiot I know who would run around in a chicken-themed super suit.”

“Hey!”

“I’m KIDDING. But seriously, you’re the only guy I know who can be eight feet tall and has a pair of wings.” Alex stroked the cat’s head.

“That makes more sense.” Grian nodded. “That’s not important right now. What’s important is what you’re doing here.”

Alex looked a tad confused “Did you just ask why I was at my brother’s house?”

“I know for a fact that Xisuma is in the shopping district right now.” Grian said with a mildly accusatory tone.

“Ha,  _ I’m sorry _ , but are you implying that I’m going to cause trouble just because X isn’t here?”

“Well, you  were banned for a _reason_.” The bird crossed his arms. He towered over the Nether soldier, his shadow falling across the strawberry-loving man.

“And ‘Suma and I worked it out! Now get outta my way! What goes on in my family is none of your business, you bird!” Alex pushed past Grian and pulled out a key to the house, opening the door. 

The bird stood there, dumbfounded. He turned to see Alex give him a glare before slamming the door shut. 

Alex had called him a bird. 

“He doesn’t matter.” Grian told himself in his Poultry Man voice. He shook his head and flew up into the air again. 

He spotted a few of the hermits he “met” the day before on his way to the shopping district. They waved to him.

ZombieCleo and Joe Hills walked together and waved at the hero, but then paused. Cleo said something to Joe, and Joe nodded. He called out to Grian.

“Poultry Man! We’ve got a question for ya!” 

The bird stopped flying forwards and turned around. He descended in front of the pair. 

“What can I do for you?” He asked in a confident voice.

“Have ya seen our friend Grian? We’re not sure if ya met him yet, but we haven’t seen him lately. I don’t think any of the other hermits really have either. Cleo and I reckon that you might be able to find him, y’know, with ya super-ness and all that.” Joe took off his glasses and rubbed the lenses with the bottom of his shirt before returning them to his face.

The zombified woman next to him nodded. “We’ve asked Xisuma, but he never gives a straight answer. Iskall doesn’t know either, and Scar always has some excuse when we ask about G.” 

Grian was conflicted. On one hand, he was relieved that they didn’t know it was him. On the other hand, he was panicking that people had noticed his absence. 

Without thinking, Grian gave an answer. “I’ll see what I can do! I’m sure your friend is just fine! Have you asked Mumbo Jumbo?” 

Cleo shook her head. “We can never seem to find him either, but we’ve seen him more than we’ve seen Grian.”

Grian realized that they must have come to find him when Mumbo was in the HQ.

“We talked to Ren, and he’s seen Grian, but...he said that G-man was acting strange.” Joe added.

“Alrighty. I’ll make sure he’s okay. You have my word.” The hero nodded. 

“Thanks, Poultry Man!” Cleo smiled. She readjusted her head, which was weird even if she  _ was _ a zombie.

The two waved to the bird as he flew up. He gave them a quick wave before zipping off to his destination.

“Oh gosh, why did I say I would do that.” Grian mumbled to himself. “But...it felt good that they trusted me to find Grian..I mean, er, me…”

He flew for a bit in silence, which was broken like glass when  heard an explosion. 

Grian turned to his right to see a large crater, surrounded by burning trees. 

“Oh SH-” He heard Impulse cry out before another explosion created a second crater. 

The hero knew there was trouble. He flew towards the blasts and spotted Tango and Impulse trying to put out the fires as Bdubs walked around the craters in a trance. 

“Oh no, he’s sleepwalking again, isn’t he.” Grian saw that Bdubs had a stack of TNT in his hand, and seemed to be accidentally placing it around the fires. 

The fuse on one of the bombs caught fire and started to burn up. 

Grian swooped down and grabbed Bdubs before picking up the rest of the Boomers. He flew into the air right before a third explosion sent a wave of heat all around. 

If Bdubs had still been down there, he would have gotten killed.

Tango and Impulse looked at Poultry Man. 

“Yo! Thank you!” Impulse laughed. 

“Tell me again why we let the narcoleptic be in charge of the explosives?” Tango surveyed the damage as Grian lowered himself down and set the Boomers a good distance from the craters and fire. 

“Not sure.” The bird laughed and handed the still-sleeping hermit to his friends. 

“Hold on a moment.” Grian flew towards the fires and flapped his giant wings as hard as he could at the flames. The large gusts of wind put out the flames and allowed the heat to dissipate. 

The Boomers came towards the craters as Poultry Man landed on the edge of one. Bdubs seemed to have woken up slightly. 

“Oh man, did I do it again?” He laughed and handed the remaining TNT to Impulse. 

“Don’t worry about the craters, Poultry Man.” Tango stepped next to the tall man. “We’ll clean that up.” He said with a laugh.

“Alright then! Hey, uh...next time, be a bit more careful. I know that bombs and such are your jobs, but...y’know…” 

“We get it!” Bdubs untied his already-loose headband and retied it. 

“Honestly, we’re lucky to have a superhero around. This dumb-dub would’ve blown off his head if you hadn’t swooped in.” Impulse playfully gave Bdubs a punch on the arm. 

“Ha! Dumb-dub, that’s a new one.” Tango chuckled. 

“Pssh, your insults only prove that you guys love me.” Bdubs laughed and stuck out his tongue. 

Grian smiled at the banter. “I’ve got to get going!” He said to the Boomers. They looked at him. 

“Well, thank you again, Gr—, er..Great feathered hero! You’re, uh, a marvelous hero!” Bdubs caught himself.

Grian gave a smile and a wave as he flew off from the destruction crew. As he left, Tango and Impulse turned to him. 

“Hey, you know who he is?” Tango looked at the sleepwalker.

“What! Nooooo!” Bdubs said with a nervous laugh.

“Well, you weren’t gonna say ‘great feathered hero’, that’s for sure.” Impulse gave him an inquisitive look.

“Yes I was!” Bdubs did his best to look offended, but the other two knew he was bluffing.

Tango spoke up again. “There’s only one hermit with a name that starts with G—”

“Two, Tango. You’re forgetting Scar.” Impulse started to collect the debris of the blasts.

“Scar doesn’t count! When have you ever heard someone call him GoodTimesWithScar?” Tango began to help his friend.

“Okay. Fair point.” Impulse nodded.

Tango turned to look up at Bdubs, who still stood at the top of the crater. “Soooo, Bdubs. Is Grian Poultry Man? I mean, it makes  _ zero _ sense at all, but you obviously were about to say a name with a G.”

Bdubs panicked. “Uh...two things! One, PM never said he was a hermit! And two...uh...oh! Hey Keralis!” 

Tango and Impulse turned to see Keralis walking past the craters. 

“Hello!” The Polish hermit waved. 

The Boomers looked back up at Bdubs, but he seemed to have run off while Tango and Impulse were distracted.

“Of course.” Impulse sighed. “We’re stuck doing all the clean-up.”

“Eh, we’ll get payback later.” Tango smiled.

* * *

Grian sat atop one of the trees in the jungle, watching over the landscape as he collected his thoughts. 

“Bdubs almost exposed me, but…he stopped himself. I’m sure Tango and Impulse don’t know.” He removed his mask so he could breathe better.

“I should probably return home.” He sighed. “But then I’d have to be Grian. Why can’t I just  _ stay _ Poultry Man?”

He looked down. An idea popped into his head. 

“Wait a moment...why  _ can’t _ I just stay Poultry Man? I don’t need to be like Grian! Grian’s insecure and anxious. Poultry Man, however, is confident! He’s cool! He’s...he’s a hero.” The bird looked off into the distance. 

“ _I’m_ a hero.”

With a smile, Grian stood up. He put his mask back on and jumped off the tree, gliding down as he yelled out in joy. 

He laughed and swooped up just before he hit the ground, scaring a wild ocelot. 

The hero flew through the treetops, listening to the chirps and conversations of the parrots.

One remarked on the ridiculousness of his suit. Grian stopped flying and turned towards the jungle bird. 

“ _ I heard that _ .” He whistled in bird language. The parrot chirped in surprise and apologized. 

Grian chuckled and continued his flight towards the headquarters. He was once again able to make a stealthy entrance down into the base.

* * *

Mumbo had the clever idea of telling Grum to warn him when Grian came back. 

When the gapped-tooth bot told him that his friend was coming down the lift, Mumbo took action. He quickly cleaned his area up and hid his work in progress. He ran to the bathroom and washed up. He shook the redstone out of his hair and yelped in pain as he got some in his eyes. 

He splashed water onto his face as he blinked the dust away.

He grabbed a towel and dried off his face, hearing Grian calling out his name. He hung the towel on the hook and ran out to greet his buddy.

“Grian! Hello!” Mumbo hopped that Grian wouldn’t notice the motor oil on his jeans.

“Hey! How’s your day been, because  _ mine _ has gone great!” Grian didn’t seem to notice, and he seemed to be talking in a different way than normal.

“Mine’s been fine.” Mumbo smiled. 

“Great! I was just stopping by to see if you wanted to have some lunch before I needed to go back to work.” The bird offered. 

Mumbo nodded. “Lunch sounds great.”

“I’m so glad you suggested I be a superhero! I feel great!” Grian bounded on over to the kitchen area of the base. He started to pull out ingrediants to make lunch when he stopped.

“I have no idea how to cook well.” 

“I’ve got it. Just sit down at the counter and keep me company.” Mumbo chuckled and took control of the kitchen.

Grian went to the other side of the counter and sat down on one of the chairs. They were reinforced to withstand the weight of the eight-foot-tall man.

“So, save anyone yet?” Mumbo asked as he started to prepare the food.

“Oh! Yah! I saved the Boomers! Bdubs had fallen asleep again, and they almost got caught in an explosion! But I saved ‘em!” Grian laughed and stretched out his wings. He rested his head on his arms, which he laid down on the countertop. 

Mumbo stole a glance at his friend, and smiled. G looked so content, just sitting there. There were a few feathers in his hair and Mumbo couldn’t tell if they were coming from his hair, or if they had just gotten caught in it.

“What’ve you done today so far?” Grian asked, his eyes still closed.

“Oh, I, uh...just hung out with the kids! Did a few repairs here and there on their systems.” Mumbo lied. He felt bad for not telling the truth, but he didn’t know what Grian would do if he knew he was building another robot. 

“I noticed the redstone on ya.” Grian yawned and sat up, his wings still outstretched. 

Mumbo nodded and continued to make the sandwiches. 

A moment of silence.

G spoke up. “Hey...so remember that time you asked me if I wanted another kid?” 

The roboticist froze. Did he know?

Mumbo nodded again.

“Yeah...You understand  _ why _ I said no, right? It’s got nothing to do with you! It’s just because-”

“You don’t want the responsibility.” Mumbo interjected. 

Grian nodded.

“What if I took care of her,...I mean, uh,...a robot...all by myself. Without you needing to be involved?” Mumbo wanted some sort of approval for his actions.

“I don’t know man, this whole thing makes me anxious. Like, what if I’m not good enough? I feel like if you built another kid, that kid might see me as her dad like the twins did. I just...I just think four’s good, y’know?”

Mumbo nodded slowly. “Four...is good.” 

“Hey, is something wrong?” Grian gave his friend a concerned look.

“Oh, no, it’s alright!” The redstoner’s mind went to the unfinished android he was hiding in his workshop. There was something in his voice though, that seemed to ask Grian to continue worrying and caring. 

But the bird didn’t.

“Great! Glad that’s all sorted!” Grian grinned.

“Are you going to stay like that the whole day?” Mumbo finished making lunch and set Grian’s plate down in front of him. 

Grian didn’t seem to know what his friend was talking about. It took him a second, but he realized that Mumbo was talking about his hero form. 

“I feel better like this!” Grian ate the sandwich very quickly and stood up. 

“I should go. Can’t save people if I’m down here! If Scar comes by, tell him I’ll be back later!” Grian started to walk towards the lift. Mumbo had barely sat down in the chair next to the bird’s. 

“I-...but, you...we…” Mumbo stuttered in confusion. “Fine. I’ll do that.”

“Sweet! Thanks bro!” Grian put his mask back on and hopped in the lift. 

Mumbo looked down at his own food. “I thought we were going to eat lunch together.” He sighed to himself.

He wasn’t really hungry anymore.

All he wanted to do was continue work on Sahara.

He was about to get up when he heard Jrum’s voice. 

“Hiya Papa!” Jrum climbed up onto the chair that Grian had just been sitting on. “Whewe’s Daddy? I heawd him a second ago.” The baby looked around for his father.

“Daddy had to go back to work, sweetie.” Mumbo turned and picked the boy up. He set the baby in his lap and kissed his head. 

“Oh...okie..Can I haf some?” Jrum pointed at the uneaten sandwich.

Mumbo faltered. “You...You don’t need to eat, dear. You’re a robot.”

Jrum giggled. “I know! But I wanna eat!”

Mumbo suddenly felt so very sad. “No, no, what I mean is...you  _ can’t  _ eat...you’re just a robot.”

“Then just make me into a hooman!” Jrum smiled up at his father.

“I-...Oh, baby, I can’t do that. See, it’s quite easy to transfer the consciousness and personality of a human into a machine. Just ask Caroline. But, it’s impossible to put an AI into a human vessel because, well, that person already has a personality and mind.” Mumbo explained.

“Oh…” Jrum looked disappointed. The little baby thought that his father could do anything.

He learned that he was wrong.

“I’m sorry, baby.” Mumbo cradled the tiny bot in his arms. Oh, how he wished he could do what his little boy had asked. He would love to give his children the opportunity of an actual life where they could grow up and live.

But they would be stuck like this forever.

He hoped he could change that for Sahara. He was figuring out how to change her fate. He wanted to give her a chance.

“It’s okay, Mommy.” Jrum clutched onto Mumbo’s shirt and hugged him. Mumbo smiled when his baby called him that. He felt honored to be thought of as motherly for this little boy who didn’t have a mother. 

Mumbo gave him a few more kisses and took Jrum with him to his workshop, leaving the sandwich on the counter. 

“Do you wanna be a big brother?” Mumbo still cradled the boy as he entered his workspace.

The baby gasped and sat up in his father’s arms. “Yeah!” 

Mumbo smiled happily. “Well, you will be one soon!” He set his boy down on one of the workbenches. 

Jrum’s eyes filled with sparkles. “Weawwy?” 

Mumbo nodded. Jrum’s responses were always so...realistic and human. He loved that. The roboticist pulled out his project and materials, getting back into the swing of it. 

“Her name’s Sahara, and she’s a surprise. You can’t tell Daddy.”

Jrum nodded and put a finger over his mouth. “Shhhh! I’m good wif secwets!” 

Mumbo laughed and resumed his work. Jrumbot watched intensely. 

“Man, I wanna be just wike you and Daddy when I gwow up. I’m gonna be tall wike you! And I’ll be stwong and hewoic wike Daddy! And I’ll be a wizawd wike Scaw and I’ll buiwd coow wobots and do magic and be a supahewo!”

“Haha, that’s a lot of things to be.” Mumbo remarked, trying not to think about the disappointment his baby would surely feel if he told him that he couldn’t grow up.

“Yeah, but I fink I can do it.” Jrum said with confidence, not unlike that of Poultry Man’s. “Hey, how come Sahawa wooks diffewent than me and Gwum and the twins?”

Mumbo looked up at the bot. “I’m trying to make her look like a human as best I can.” 

“...Why?”

Mr. Jumbo wasn’t sure how to respond. “Well...I wanna test my skills!” That was partially true.

“Papa, will you still wuv me even when I’m not the baby anymowe?” Jrum asked quietly.

Mumbo set down his wrench. “Jrumbot! I’ll always love you! You’ll always be my little baby!” He took the bot in his arms and squeezed him tightly. His heart hurt because of the truth of the words he spoke. Jrumbot  _ would _ always be his little baby. 

Mumbo should’ve taken up magic and made assistants using the arcana instead. At least then they would be able to live and grow. 

“I wuv you Papa.” Jrumbot kissed Mumbo on the nose and wiggled out his arms. “I’m gonna go pway wif ‘Mewia!” 

The father smiled. “Alrighty, baby. I love you too!” 

The little bot ran out of the room. 

The redstoner’s smiled faded. If he had just made Grumbot’s AI evolve-proof, it would save him from his growing problems. All the disappointments that he would cause for his kids wouldn’t have to happen because, well, he wouldn’t have children.

He wouldn’t be a father, and he would probably have a better chance at becoming a mayor. 

He looked down at his shirt. The phrase still felt strange, despite him seeing it everyday.

“It’s all just...going too fast.” Mumbo set his head in his hands. The election, his children, Grian’s bird thing. Not to mention the void in his heart.

When he built the kids, that longing he had for a family seemed to close up. But now that the reality that they were just robots was setting in, the void was opening up again. 

Grian’s change in attitude only helped to further the expansion of the void.

“Gosh, I miss my family.” Mumbo let out a longing sigh. He hadn’t seen his brother and sister in seven years. He knew that Grace had gotten married, but that he had missed it. He had felt awful about it, even though there was no way he could have made it in time.

He looked up at the android he was building. “Would Dad be proud of me? I mean, would he be proud of his son who left home at 17, and is now delusionally creating a family out of machines?” He wanted to slam his head down on the workbench in frustration, but decided against it.

“I’ll just work on Sahara.” He mumbled and tried to feel less like a disappointment and more like a builder. He frowned. Maybe he should try to act like a father while he built his daughter. Maybe that would help him see her as more than just a machine.

He was starting to feel like a machine himself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops i forgot to put notes here when i first posted it lol  
> Btw, Cry came up with that ending scene between the Boomers where Tango and Impulse are asking him about the identity of Bdubs
> 
> Man, Mumbo needs a hug from his parents or something lol whoopsie 
> 
> Writing this chapter helped me forgot that I got a 60% on my APUSH test today : )


	31. Falling Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It comes apart  
> The way it does in bad films  
> Except in parts  
> When the moral kicks in”

Grian came home late. It was around midnight, but the lights in the HQ were still on. Mumbo must still have been working on something. The bird was too tired to investigate. He walked into the Jrumbot shop and collapsed on the bed. He was out in moments.

  
  


Mumbo, on the other hand, didn’t seem like he was going to sleep anytime soon. He had so much caffeine running through him that he wouldn’t be able to sleep, even if he tried. He was working hard on Sahara, making sure to take more time to be careful and precise with her wiring and circuitry. 

His vision was getting blurrier than normal, and he blamed the fatigue. After slipping up a few times, Mumbo gave in and stood up. He walked on over to a chest and pulled out a glasses case. He opened it up and took out a pair of glasses and slipped them onto his face. His eyes took a second to readjust, but once they did, the entire world seemed so much clearer. 

Inside the chest were more of Mumbo’s personal items, mixed in with mechanical pieces and parts. He reached in and retrieved a picture frame. The photo was of him, Grace, and John. It was taken when he was in Year 12 in upper school. He started at the picture for a minute before standing up and walking back over to his workbench. He set the frame upright next to his coffee mug. 

The tired man turned his attention back to his work. He pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose before grabbing a tiny screwdriver and beginning to fiddle with a circuit board.

He started to lose his patience. Half of him just wanted her to be finished already. The other half wanted to be careful and precise with his work. 

Mumbo screwed the circuit board into the android and sighed. He set the screwdriver down and turned the bot around so he could look at her. He always liked to get their bodies finished before working on the wiring inside. 

The man studied the face he had built for the girl. She looked young, around five to six years old, with fluffy brown hair similar to that of Stress. She wore a red dress trimmed with white lace. Her face was freckled and her eyes were closed as if she were sleeping. 

Mumbo stood up again and headed over to the chest. It was still open, and so he got on his knees and dug around the messy box. He pulled out a beat-up glasses case and brought it back over to his robot. He opened up the case and removed a child’s pair of glasses. They were cat-eye and red, with a slight redstone-like shimmer. The roboticist set them gently on the girl’s nose and pushed them up.

“There we go.” He smiled. 

He decided it was time for a break of sorts. Mumbo walked out of the workshop and went up the lift. It was late, and the server was quiet. 

He walked across the platform and towards the Jrumbot shop. The lights were off inside, but the door was slightly ajar. Mumbo peeked in to see Grian asleep on top of the covers, fully suited.

The man walked in and went over to the bird. He didn’t want to wake him up, so he moved quietly. He observed his sleeping friend. 

Grian hadn’t returned to his normal size, and his legs went off the end of the bed. The roboticist noticed that he had a few more feathers than before. 

Mumbo sighed and went to leave, but something caught his eye.

A gray, star-patterned sweater. 

It was halfway under the bed. Mumbo knew that this sweater had some sort of sentimental significance to his buddy, and he wondered if he had Sahara wear it, that Grian would be more okay with her.

An irrational idea for an irrational man. It was perfect, he decided, and picked the sweater off the floor. He exited the shop, making sure to lock up behind him so no one would walk in and see Grian in his super suit.

Mumbo examined the sweater as he made his way back over to the lift. It was obviously a female’s sweater, so why did Grian have it? 

“ᒲ⚍ᓭℸ ̣ ⍑ᔑ⍊ᒷ ʖᒷᒷリ 𝙹リᒷ 𝙹⎓ ⍑╎ᓭ ⎓∷╎ᒷリ↸’ᓭ” The tired Englishman mumbled in the Ender language. He often found it easier to speak than English when he was tired. 

He came down the lift and headed back to the workshop. He approached the workbench and pulled the sweater over the robot’s head. He slipped her arms through it, pushing up the sleeves so that they would fit nicely. 

Mumbo collapsed onto his swivel chair and stared at the android on the workbench in front of him. 

She didn’t look robotic. 

Mumbo had always been a fast worker. Give him an hour and he could have a complex redstone contraption thought up and already partially built. 

When it came to robots, he seemed to be even faster. It was the excitement of getting to meet them once they were finished that caused his swiftness. 

Mumbo leaned forwards and picked Sahara up in his arms. Her circuitry wasn’t finished yet, but it would by the end of tomorrow...well, today, he realized. The man glanced at his watch, seeing that it was nearing 1 AM.

With a shrug, sat back and cradled the android like a baby. He smiled as his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. 

He fell asleep, despite his best efforts.

When he awoke, he was in the same place as before. The robot was in his arms, and the lights in his workshop were still on.

Mumbo yawned and looked at his watch. 

9 AM

The redstoner stood up and set the bot down on the workbench, giving her a kiss on the top of her head before walking to the middle of the room and stretching. 

He made his way out of the room and towards the bathroom. He flicked on the lights and yawned, taking off his glasses as he walked to the mirror. 

He almost laughed at himself. His hair was messy, and he had bags under his eyes. He looked like a vampire, and not the hot kind. 

Mumbo studied his appearance for a second before putting his glasses back on. He stepped back in surprise at how much...older they made him look. The half-moon lenses only help to accentuate his tired look. 

“I look like an actual dad.” He laughed to himself, before cutting himself off. He  _ was _ an actual dad. 

“C’mon Mumbo, get it together.” He ran a hand through his hair before taking a set of clothes out of his inventory and setting them on the counter and turning on the shower.

* * *

Grian had woken up around 7 that morning. Something about the promise of praise filled him with energy. When he thought about what the hermits would say when he saved someone, a burst of excitement ran through him, like a bolt of lightning. 

He ran out the shop, flying up into the sky too fast for anyone to see him. Grian flew above the shopping district. He waved hello to Beef and Etho, who smiled when they saw the hero. 

The bird flew into the jungle and sat on a low branch. He took a few deep breaths. He felt extra jittery this morning. He tried to shake out his limbs to get rid of the feeling, which worked, but not in the way he expected. The energy shot out of his limbs in the form of electricity and sped out in different directions. The lightning caught him by surprise, and he fell backwards out of the tree. He wasn’t high up, and he landed on the soft jungle plants below him.

But, he landed on his wing. Not hard enough to crack it, but still hard enough to hurt.

He cried out in pain before realizing that someone might find him. He dove behind a thick tangle of plants and stretched out his wing.

He heard someone call into the jungle. It was Scar.

“Hello? Are you alright?” The candidate walked into the green biome and looked for the pained hermit.

Grian popped his head out from behind the plants. He pushed his mask up so Scar could see his face.

“I’m all good.” Grian said, his voice wavering out of his Poultry Man voice. 

Scar hurried over to his friend, noticing the new feathers. 

“Oh dear.” Scar mumbled and hopped behind the bush next to Grian. 

“What?” 

“Well, if you haven’t noticed, you’re still changing.” Scar started to rummage around in his inventory.

“I’ve...ignored it.” Grian admitted.

“If we don’t act fast, you’ll be gone quicker than we expect.” The wizard told him, still looking for something.

This shot panic through Grian’s heart like a bullet. His brave facade started to fade as anxiety took its rightful throne in his mind. 

“But it’s all good!” Scar announced, pulling a bottle of swirling shimmery liquid out of his pocket. “Aleighnya, one of the wizards from my old guild, made a potion to reverse the effects of mine. It’ll also help to slow down your transformation.” He handed the bottle over to Grian.

The bird did not hesitate to drink it. He was at the point where his feathers would pop out from beneath his chestplate and from under his mask. It was sort of...uncomfortable. 

He removed the cork of the bottle and downed the potion. Grian stared at the empty glass bottle, waiting for something to happen.

He saw the feathers on his arms start to fade into nothing but glimmers that disappeared after a moment. He could see the same thing happen to the feathers on the side of his face. The feathers that had been caused by Scar’s faulty potion were gone. 

Grian grinned. Confidence kicked anxiety off of the throne and took back its reign over the man. He threw his arms around his friend and hugged tightly. 

“Thank you!” 

“It’s...no...problem!” Scar choked out, getting crushed under Grian’s hug. 

The bird let go and chuckled deeply. “Haha, sorry about that.” 

“It’s fine.” The wizard smiled and stood up. 

Grian hopped to his feet, stretching out his wings once more before pulling down his mask. 

“It seems like you’re doing better.” Scar remarked.

The hero nodded with confidence.

“How’s Mumbo?” 

Grian paused. “No clue.” He shrugged and raised his wings, taking off into the sky.

Scar became concerned. “That’s...not how Grian acts.” Perhaps he should give a visit to the local robot fanatic. 

* * *

Mumbo stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a clean pair of clothes. He wore a dress shirt, its sleeves rolled up. He wore a plain red tie and a pair of suspenders. He wiped the steam off his glasses with his towel and put them back on his nose. 

He closed the door behind him and headed back towards his workshop. He felt refreshed and awake. Oh his way, he passed by the kitchen. Jrumbot was sitting on the counter, making...something.

Mumbo chuckled and walked over to his baby, giving him a hug from behind as well as a kiss on his metal cheek. “Whatcha doin’?”

Jrumbot looked up. “I’m making a samwich for you, cuz you didn’t eat that one yestewday.” Jrum pointed at the sandwich that Mumbo had made, but left out.

Mumbo looked at the one Jrum was making. It was a basic sandwich; Nutella between two pieces of bread. 

The boy had made quite the mess. His hands were covered in the chocolate, and his shirt was mucked up. He handed the sandwich to Mumbo, grinning wide. 

The father took out a plate and set the food on it, before setting it aside and looking at Jrum. 

“Thank you dear.” He smiled kindly. “You’re quite the little mess, aren’t ya. Why don’t we clean you up, and then I’ll eat the sandwich.”

Jrumbot giggled and nodded. Mumbo took the towel that was still around his shoulders and used it to wipe the chocolate from his baby. He removed Jrum’s dirty shirt and finished cleaning the boy up. 

It was a very simple thing. All Mumbo was doing was cleaning his kid.

But it meant more than that to Jrum. He smiled as his father cared for him. It made him feel loved. 

Once Mumbo had finished, he took the towel and shirt. “I’m going to go put these away.”

Jrum hummed happily as his father left. He returned a moment later, holding a clean shirt for the boy. Mumbo came over to Jrum and held open the shirt. 

“Armies up.” Mumbo spoke sweetly to the child. Jrum obeyed and raised his arms. Mumbo pulled the shirt on over the boy’s head and stepped back. The shirt was big on him, of course, but it made him smile. The Sahara logo looked nice on him.

Mumbo outstretched his arms from Jrum, who hopped into them. 

“Tank you Mommy.” The baby hugged Mumbo. The redstoner smiled and picked up the plate of food with his other hand before walking towards the Workshop. He set Jrumbot down next to Sahara on the workbench and sat down. 

He began eating the sandwich, as Jrumbot turned to look at the bot. 

“Hewwo! I’m Jwumbot!” He waved. The android did not respond.

Mumbo chuckled. “She’s not done yet.” He told his baby.

“Oh.” Jrum looked disappointed.

“But she will be by the end of today.” Mumbo said, eating the sandwich rather quickly. He didn’t realize how hungry he had been. Once he had finished, he set the plate down on a seperate table next to him and wiped his face with a paper towel. 

“How was da samwich?” Jrumbot asked his father.

Mumbo smiled and ruffled Jrumbot’s hair. “It was great. Thank you, Jrum.”

Jrumbot beamed at his father’s approval. “Yay!” He giggled.

“Alright sweetie, I need to continue working on your sister.” Mumbo told the bot as he flicked on an overhead desk lamp.

“Can I dwaw and cowouw whiwe you wowk?” 

Mumbo nodded with a smile and pulled out some paper and a box of crayons. He picked up Jrum and brought him over to a less-cluttered part of the workshop and set him and the art supplies on the floor. Jrum started to hum and got to work on a drawing right away.

Mumbo strode back on over to his bench and continued to work.

Amelia, Grum, and Circuit made sure that their father ate and took breaks throughout the day. He seemed happier than he had the day before. 

It was around 8 PM when Mumbo finally finished. He secured the last of Sahara’s wirings and entered her input code. He stepped back as she booted up.

Her eyes opened and she observed her surroundings. Her eyes fell on Mumbo and she looked up at his grinning face.

“Hello Sahara!” He kneeled down so that he was closer to her eye level. She still sat on the workbench. 

“Hi” The little girl said in a quiet voice. “Who awe you?” She asked.

“I’m your-...” Mumbo caught himself. He was about to tell her that he was her father, but...he didn’t really feel like her dad. 

“You could say I’m your mother.” He managed to say, his face turning a bit red. 

Sahara blinked and slowly smiled. “But you’we a boy!” She giggled sweetly, and it reminded Mumbo of Jrumbot.

“Well, you can call me your father then. I just thought you would like to have a mum since you don’t actually have one.” Mumbo stood up slightly and sat in the swivel chair, pushing it up to the desk. 

“Naw I wike mommy bettew.” Sahara tugged on the sleeves of the star-pattered sweater. She seemed...shy. 

Mumbo brought his hand up to her face. Unlike her siblings, who all had metal plating, Sahara had a sort of synthetic skin. Unless someone looked closely and saw the subtle lines on her face and hands, they would never know she was an android. 

Sahara pushed herself forwards off of the desk and onto Mumbo’s lap, giving him a hug. 

“I wuv you!” She declared. 

The void in Mumbo’s heart closed up as pride filled him. He picked Sahara up and cradled her in his arms. 

“And I love you more than you could ever know.” 

Sahara smiled and opened her eyes again. They were hazel, and filled with wonder. 

She reached up and pulled the glasses off of her face. She stared at the sparkly frames. “Pwetty!” 

Mumbo stood up, still holding Sahara and smiled. “Do you like them?” 

The little girl nodded, her fluffy hair bouncing.

“Let’s go meet your siblings.” Mumbo booped her tiny nose and set the glasses back on her face.

Mumbo stepped out of the workshop and into the main living area of the headquarters. The other four kids were sitting around the TV, watching one of Grian’s favourite shows. Grian had Mumbo watch the entire series with him in the previous season, and he had enjoyed it as well.

“Kids,” Mumbo started to say. They paused their show and turned to look at their father. 

He looked down at the little girl in his arms. He set her down and softly said, “Go on. Introduce yourself.”

Sahara walked on over to her more robotic looking siblings. 

“Hewwo.” She began. “My name is Sahawa. I’m da andwoid sent by Cybewwife.”

Mumbo chuckled. He had set that as her initial introduction phrase as a joke when he first started programming her, and he guessed he forgot to remove it.

Jrumbot jumped off the couch. “Hewwo!! I’m Jwumbot! My shiwt has says Sahawa!” He pointed down to the old shop logo on his t-shirt. 

“That’s because I named her after the shop. She was originally intended to be a shop attendant.” Mumbo explained. “Just like you, Jrumbot.”

Jrum’s eyes became sparkly. “Woaw! You’we wike me!” He threw his arms around his sister. She was a bit taller than him. Sahara was built to look a couple of years older than Jrumbot, but she was still technically younger than him. 

Sahara giggled and hugged her brother. He let go and pulled her over to the center of the room.

“Hi Sahara! I’m your sister, Amelia!” The other daughter waved.

“And I’m her twin brother, Circuit!” 

Grumbot smiled kindly. “I’m your older brother, Grumbot.” 

Sahara looked very happy. 

Grumbot turned around suddenly, facing his father. “Hey, Dad, Scar’s at the door.” 

Mumbo sometimes forgot that Grum was also the giant robot up above the ground, since he mostly stayed in his more humanoid vessel.

“You can let him down.” Mumbo told his son. Grumbot nodded and closed his eyes, connecting to his bigger body to open up the lift for the wizard. 

The elevator lowered down and its doors opened up at the bottom. Scar and Jellie walked out. 

“Oh! Hello!” Scar greeted the robots and their father. His interest was caught by Sahara. 

He approached the child. “Uh, Mumbo? Where did you get a kid?” Scar crouched down in front of the little girl. 

“I made her!” Mumbo said proudly. “She’s a robot.” He quickly added.

“Wow! You’ve outdone yourself.” Scar commented. He gave Sahara a smile. “Hi, I’m your Uncle Scar.” 

Sahara examined the newcomer. “I’m Sahawa.” She said in a shy voice. Scar took Jellie off of his shoulders and set her down in front of the new bot. “Hello Sahara! This is my cat, Jellie. Could you and Jrum look after her while I talk to your father?”

Sahara’s eyes lit up when she pet Jellie. She nodded and Jrumbot came over to play with the cat as well. 

Scar greeted his robotic niece and nephews before walking over to Mumbo. He took him by the wrist and pulled his taller friend into the workshop. 

“Woah, what’s wrong?” Mumbo asked, confused. 

“Something’s up with Grian. He’s...acting different.” Scar removed his monocle and wiped the lense with his suit jacket. He set it back on his face. That’s when he noticed that Mumbo was wearing glasses.

“I-...When did you get those?” Scar asked, motioning to the accessory. Mumbo took them off for a second. 

“I’ve, uh, always had them. Haven’t worn this pair since I joined Hermitcraft though...Even though I need them to see.” Mumbo said with an embarrassed chuckle, putting them back on his face. “But, back to Grian...what’s wrong with him?”

Scar sighed. “First of all, I was able to reverse the effect of my potion with a potion made by one of my wizard friends. His rate of change should actually be slowed now. Second of all...I think being Poultry Man is getting to him or something. He’s been acting a bit off ever since he became him. Take today, for instance. After I gave him the potion, I asked him how you were doing. His response was a careless shrug and an ‘I don’t know’ before he flew off.”

Mumbo processed what his friend was telling him. “I’ve...I’ve noticed it too. Yesterday, he came home, asking if I wanted to have lunch with him before he had to go back to work. I said yes, and I made lunch, but he ate his so quickly and was already heading out to leave before I had even sat down in the chair next to him.” 

Scar looked a tad worried. “You think the praise is getting to him?” 

Mumbo hesitated. He didn't think that Grian would be like that, but…

He sighed and nodded sadly. 

“I’ll talk to him when he gets home.” Mumbo told Scar. 

“Good.”

“The other day, I told him that he should reveal his identity before it was too late. He told me he wouldn’t do it...Actually, he said he would think about it, but you and I both know that that means he’s not going to do it.” Mumbo added.

“Oh man, we’re gonna lose him.” Scar put his hands over his face. 

“I’d rather not think about that.” Mumbo looked over at his desk, letting his gaze fall upon the picture of him and his siblings. 

“Did I make the right choice?” The roboticist asked, still looking at the photo.

“The right choice?”

“I left home at 17 to become a hermit. Was it the right choice?” Mumbo turned his attention back to Scar. 

“Mumbo...when it comes to something like that, there isn’t really a ‘right choice’. All that matters is if you believe it was a good decision.”

Mumbo stood there silently for a moment. “I like to think it was.”

Scar smiled and gave his friend a pat on the arm. “Then I believe it was as well.”

The wizard started to turn away when Mumbo spoke something in a sad, soft whisper.

“I just want someone to be proud of me.”

Scar stopped walking. He turned to face his friend. “Mumbo...I’m proud of you! Grian’s proud of you! Your children are proud of you! They love you more than anything in the entire world. They look up to you, Mumbo. They believe in you. And I believe that they’re more than just robots. There’s something else in them. It’s almost like a little spark of magic. They may be machines, but they’re machines who can live and love.”

Mumbo sniffed as he looked at Scar. That was what he needed to hear. 

“Thank you…” Mumbo took off his glasses and wiped his eyes. 

“You’re a good father, Mumbo.” Scar noted as he exited the workshop. 

That made Mumbo smile. 

Once Scar had left, Mumbo put the kids down for bed. He took Sahara with him though. He...he didn’t to be alone, he decided.

As he watched his daughter sleep, Mumbo tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled. 

“Grian’s going to be proud of you.” Mumbo said softly. Sahara opened her eyes slightly. 

“Who’s Gwian?” She asked in a tired whisper. 

“Grian’s your daddy.” Mumbo said with a loving smile. 

“When do I getta meet him?” The android rubbed her eye.

“Soon, dear. He’ll come home soon, and then you’ll get to meet him.”

Mumbo knew he wouldn’t be able to hide Sahara. He had...conveniently forgotten once again that Grian didn’t want another robot.

But Sahara made Mumbo so happy. Not only was she adorable, but she looked human.   
  


Grian would surely love her too.

Mumbo drifted off to sleep with the idea of introducing his friend to their daughter the next day. 

* * *

  
  


Grian had avoided going back to the HQ. It seemed like everytime he stopped being Poultry Man, the nightmares and anxiety came back. It felt it better to just stay out and sleep in his mansion. For some reason, his dreams were pleasant back at his base. 

He was too tired to dream by the end of the day. Staying in his hero form all the time really took it out of him, but now that Scar had given him that reversal potion...he felt better.

He felt okay with himself.

He was proud of himself.

He was a hero, and people knew it and loved him for it.

Needless to say, Grian did not return to the HQ that night.

Mumbo didn’t get the chance to talk to him.

It took four days for Mumbo to take action and find Grian.

For four days, Mumbo spent time with his children, secretly worrying about Grian. 

Each day, Sahara would ask Mumbo when she would get to meet her father.

“Soon, sweetie. I promise.” Mumbo would answer.

To be honest, Mumbo had no idea when Grian would return.

So after the fourth day, Mumbo decided to go find him. He took his daughter with him. He brought his other children into the Jrumbot shop.

He scanned the shopping district, hoping to find a babysitter. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Ren walking with Doc. Mumbo ran over to them.

“Ren! Hi! Uh, I know this is very short notice, but could you watch my kids again? I gotta run an errand.” Mumbo held Sahara close. 

Doc looked at Ren quizzically. “You’re a babysitter?”

Ren smiled, ignoring his cyborg buddy. “Of course, my guy. In fact, Doc here can help me!” He gave Doc a playful look. The creeper rolled his eyes. 

“Fine.” 

“Great! They’re in the shop like before.” Mumbo started to head out. 

Ren grabbed Doc’s metal arm and pulled him towards the Jrumbot shop. 

“Hold on, when did Mumbo have kids?” The German pointed out.

“They’re robots. You’ll get along with them.” Ren chuckled, referring to Doc’s robotic parts.

“Remind me again why we’re friends?” 

Ren entered the shop to find the kids sitting around a board. Each bot had a set of dice. 

“Uncwe Wen!” Jrumbot jumped up and ran over to the dogman, hugging him around the legs. The other robots greeted their wolfy uncle with a wave.

“Hey, J-man!” Ren smiled. “Your papa asked me to look afta ya. I brought along your Uncle Doc too!”

Doc groaned. “I’m not their uncle.”

Ren turned to look at Doc. His sunglasses were on the edge of his nose. He spoke through clenched teeth. “Doc, remember how you owe me?”

The satyr cyborg sighed. “Fine. I’m their uncle.”

Jrumbot giggled. “Wanna pway dumb gems and dwagons wif us?” He asked.

Doc seemed to scowl a bit less. “Actually, that doesn’t sound completely terrible. I happen to love a good game of D&D.” 

Ren sat down and Doc sat next to him. 

“See, I told you you’d get along.” The dogman gave his friend a wink.

  
  


Mumbo ran through the shopping district, trying to find Grian. He kept his eye out for Poultry Man, since he figured that his friend would still be him at the moment.

He was right.

He spotted the bird having a conversation with False and xB. As he approached, it sounded like they were talking about PvP. 

“Poultry Man.” Mumbo spoke firmly.

Grian and the others turned to look at Mumbo.

The kids had been making sure that their father was taking care of himself, but he still looked tired, despite his clean appearance. 

He held a little girl in his arms. 

“Can I talk to you for a moment...In private?” Mumbo looked up at the superhero.

“Uh, sure thing!” Poultry Man said. 

Mumbo decided that it was Poultry Man who said it because Grian didn’t sound like that. He didn’t sound like a fictional hero.

The bird gave False and xB a wave and a goodbye as he followed Mumbo behind some trees. They stood in a secret grove type of area.

“What’s up?” Grian asked, removing his mask. His face seemed to have a permanent grin of confidence.

“I waited for you to come home.” Mumbo spoke plainly.

“I-...Oh! Sorry about that! Shoulda told you, but uh...I’m staying at my mansion now. Less nightmares.” Poultry Man laughed. It sounded...so different from Grian.

“Well, I waited because….well...Grian, there’s someone who wants to meet you.” Mumbo held Sahara out towards the bird. She opened her eyes and smiled at the hero. Grian took the seemingly human child in his big arms, confused. His eyes grew wide when he noticed her sweater.

“Who’s-...”

Mumbo cut him off. “Grian, this is your daughter, Sahara.”

Grian’s heart skipped a beat. “My-...My what?” He looked down at the smiling girl in his arms. She looked up at him with awe and wonder. “But, she’s human-”

“No, no, she’s simply an android designed to look as human as possible.” Mumbo said with a smile.

Sahara giggled and put her small arms around the bird as best she could. “I wuv you!” She told Grian. Grian looked baffled.

“Mumbo, I thought we agreed-”

“I know, but it’s difficult when you’re out all the time. I was….lonely.”

Grian started to panic. His face was pale and his eyes were wide. He started to stammer.

“I-..I’m…” He looked up at Mumbo, at the friend who had betrayed his wishes, and then back down at Sahara. “I’m sorry, but I can’t be your dad.”

He shoved the child back into Mumbo’s arms, pulled down his mask, and flew into the sky.

Mumbo stood there, speechless. 

He held Sahara in his arms. 

She started to cry, and so did he.

Mumbo fell to his knees and clutched Sahara closely as he sobbed into her sweater.

She cried, and unlike her more robotic siblings, she was able to cry tears. She was able to synthesize tears.

She looked up at her father’s broken face. “Does Daddy hate me?”

Mumbo’s heart broke.

“No, sweetie...he doesn’t hate you...he just...hates himself.”

But Mumbo hated himself in that moment, for he let his daughter down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter so far  
> I love Sahara ahahHh  
> No thoughts atm, just  
> Screaming :)


	32. Congratulations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “There will come a poet, who’s weapon is his word.  
> He will slay you with his tongue, o lei, o lai, o Lord.  
> He will slay you with his tongue, o lei, o lai, o Lord.”

Mumbo sat up and wiped his eyes. He stopped crying, but Sahara was still going.

“Alright, that’s enough out of me.” He mumbled to himself and stood up, holding his daughter close. 

“I made a mistake.” He sighed sadly and with regret. 

Mumbo stepped out of where he was, ignoring the other hermits in the shopping district. He saw Grian on the other side of the district, talking with Iskall. 

He didn’t seem as distressed as he just had been minutes earlier. 

The roboticist stroked Sahara’s hair and gently told her that he was sorry, and that it was not her fault.

“It’s my fault.” He admitted. “I...broke a promise…”

Sahara looked up. The lenses of her glasses were wet with synthetic tears. 

“Let’s go home.” Mumbo had to look away when she looked at him. He couldn’t bear to see the misery that had overtaken his daughter. The misery that was his fault.

He shouldn’t have told her about Grian.

But, if he hadn’t...the other kids surely would have. They would have brought Grian up, and then would have told Sahara that he was her dad as well.

Mumbo briskly walked back over to the Jrumbot shop. He stepped inside.

Ren and Doc were sitting with the kids. Doc rolled a D20 and yelled out in frustration. 

“DANG IT!” 

Jrumbot giggled. “You faiwed da woll! Da gobwin’s magic huwts you!” 

Doc crossed his arms and Ren laughed. 

Grumbot looked up to see Mumbo holding Sahara. It was obvious both had been crying. He got up quickly. 

“Dad! Are you okay?” He ran over to the pair of them.

Mumbo nodded. Ren and Doc looked over and the dogman stood up. 

“What happened?” Ren came over to Mumbo, Doc just watched from where he sat.

“I made a mistake, but it’s...it’s fine.” He lied. “Were they any trouble?” He changed the subject.

“No, they were good.” Ren answered. “In fact, I think Doc might actually not have hated it.”

Doc rolled his eyes, but still asked, “Do you want us to stay here while you rest or something? You look...tired.”

Mumbo slowly and silently nodded. “Thank you.” 

He turned around, holding Sahara close and stepped towards TVGrumbot. Ren and Doc couldn’t see him enter the lift. 

Mumbo got inside and it lowered him down into the HQ. The roboticist sat down at the kitchen counter, Sahara in his lap.

He played with her hair as she held onto her father. 

“I’m sowwee.” She whispered. 

“Why are you apologizing?” Mumbo looked confused.

“Daddy’s mad at you cuz of me…”

“No...He’s mad at me because of, well...because of me.” 

Sahara didn’t reply.

* * *

Grian had flown away after shoving Sahara back into Mumbo’s arms. He landed in front of Iskall at the other end of the shopping district and tried to have a normal conversation. He pushed Mumbo to the back of his mind.

He joked and smiled, acting like Poultry Man for the rest of the day.

But when he went to his mansion…

Grian took off his mask and threw it onto his bed with an angry yell. 

He was breathing heavily.

He couldn’t _believe_ Mumbo.

Mumbo  _ knew _ that Grian didn’t want a fifth robot. His friend went behind his back and did so anyways.

And not just that! Mumbo had taken Sunshine’s sweater. 

He took his Sunshine away. 

“Whatever.” Grian grumbled. He sat down on his bed. “He doesn’t matter. He’s just...bringing my anxiety back.”

The bird thought about the praise the other hermits would give him. It felt great.

But it would be even greater if they loved  _ Grian _ for being a hero. 

Staying anonymous suddenly felt so silly. 

The other hermits should know how great he was! Besides, that would help resolve the problem of him being “missing”.

With a smirk, Grian started to drift off to sleep. He pushed his mask off of his bed and laid down on top of the blankets. He tucked his wing around him like a blanket and fell asleep.

The next morning, Grian jumped out of bed with excitement. He grabbed his mask and put it, rushing out the door. 

He climbed up onto the roof of his mansion, about to fly off.

But someone was waiting for him.

Xisuma sat near the trapdoor.

“Grian. We need to talk.”

The hero lowered his wings. “What’s up, Bee?” He pushed his mask up.

X turned to face the bird. “We need to talk about your attitude. Why the heck did you question my brother like that?”

Grian felt very uncomfortable. “Uh, actually...could we discuss this later? I have an announcement to make!” He raised his wings again. 

“Grian, I’m serious.”

“Hey, serious. I’m Poultry Man.” He pulled his mask back down and flew up into the air. 

Xisuma yelled after him, but Grian ignored his calls. He instead flew towards the shopping district. 

“Iskall!” He landed in front of his Swedish friend. “Could you tell the hermits that I will be giving a public address at noon? I have an announcement.”

Iskall felt honoured to be trusted with helping out the hero. “Of course!” The Swede started to run around the shopping district, informing the hermits that were there to tell the others.

Grian felt great. 

  
  


Word came around to Mumbo. He had a lot of time to think and gather his thoughts. He thought that he could apologize to Grian after his address. Try to set things right.

Mumbo wanted to go alone, but the other hermits would all be at the address anyways, so he decided to bring the kids. 

As he exited the lift at ground level, he was met by Bdubs and Scar. Both had the same look of worry on their face. 

It was nearing noon, and as the eight of them approached the center of the shopping district, there was already a crowd. Mumbo held Sahara and Jrumbot in his arms, and his other 3 children stayed close. 

“We should stay in the back.” Scar said to his friends. Bdubs and Mumbo nodded.

A few minutes before 12, Xisuma walked up behind Mumbo. He looked concerned. He wasn’t angry, but he was...disappointed in Grian.

“Has Grian been blowing you guys off too?” The admin asked. 

Mumbo turned to look at his friend. “Yeah.”

Scar nodded. Bdubs just shrugged.

Finally, the clock struck noon. Everyone’s attention turned towards the platform that had been set up.

The hero stepped onto it, and the crowed cheered.

On stage, Grian felt strangely calm. The adoring fans made him feel confident. He was ready.

He stepped towards the podium.

“Hello Hermits! You must be wondering why I called you all here today, and that’s because I have an announcement.

It...It involved your dear friend Grian. Many hermits have asked me if I could find him, and that has proven to be a difficult task. I knew it would be hard to do when ZombieCleo and JoeHills first approached me about it. 

I’ve come here to tell you all the truth about Grian. The truth is…”

The crowd held its collective breath. A sense of worry came from the hermits, fearing the worst for their friend.

“The truth is…” Grian said again, this time reaching up to his mask.

“ _ I _ am Grian.” He pulled the mask off.

The crowd gasped in genuine surprise. Tango and Impulse shared a joyful look, since they had been right.

But the ones that were the most surprised stood in the back. 

Mumbo, X, Scar, and Bdubs exchanged a worried look. 

“Something’s wrong. A week ago, Grian was  _ insistent _ on not revealing his identity.” Mumbo told the other 3. He held Sahara close as she hid her face. She still believed Grian hated her. 

“Now, now! I know you have questions! But, uh, we’ll need them one at a time.” Grian told the clambering crowd.

Xisuma wasn’t having it. He flew off before the first question was even asked, telling the others in the back that he had some business to take care of.

As the crowd all got closer to the stage to ask questions and praise their friend, Grian looked up.

He saw Scar and Bdubs, standing with Mumbo and the robots. Mumbo and Grian made eye contact for a moment. 

Grian smirked with a glare at Mumbo as the roboticist’s expression turned to regret.

He turned to his children and told them something, and then walked off towards the HQ. Scar and Bdubs shook their heads at Grian and followed Mumbo.

Grian didn’t care. He didn’t need their approval. 

He had all the approval he wanted.

The public address went well, in G’s opinion.

Grian stood on stage and shrunk himself back down to his normal size. “I can change my size! That’s how you guys didn’t recognize me!”

Iskall thought it was amazing that his hero had been one of his friends the whole time. 

The hermits asked about Grian wings.

Grian told them that  _ that _ was still a secret. 

Grian felt amazing. 

Over the course of the day, hermits kept coming up to him to thank him and praise him. 

False had given him an extra pair of her flight goggles. He wore them on his head like she did, and he disregarded his mask now.

Scar, Bdubs, and Mumbo were much more concerned. Once they got back into the HQ, Mumbo set Jrum and Sahara down and collapsed onto the couch. 

“We need to talk to him.” Scar sat down on a chair. 

“Yeah. I...I thought he was cool, but…” Bdubs trailed off.

Jrum looked confused. “Does Daddy hate you, Papa?” 

Amelia picked up Jrum. “I think we should leave Papa alone for right now. Let him and Uncle Scar and Bdubs talk.”

Mumbo sat up. “I don’t know if he hates me, but there’s definitely something negative there.”

Grum looked sad. “I miss Dad.” 

“Yeah, Daddy hasn’t come home in a whiwe.” Jrum frowned. 

“We’re going to figure this out, okay kiddos?” Scar told the robots.

“We’ll let you guys talk.” Circuit nodded and lead his siblings into the other room. Sahara looked at Mumbo. She had tears running down her face, but she followed her older siblings.

Mumbo set his face in his hands. “Oh my gosh. How did it all go so wrong?”

“I think the pride got to him.” Bdubs noted.

Scar nodded. “We should talk to him.” 

“We should wait a day or two. See if he comes by to talk to us.” Mumbo sighed.

Grian did not come by.

Mumbo went out the next day to pick up some materials he needed to fix the damage that Grian caused to one of the walls a couple of weeks before. He headed towards the barge, but froze when he spotted Grian. His friend wasn’t wearing the Poultry Man suit anymore. He stood in his hero form, shirtless but proud. He wore flight goggles on his head and he laughed.

Grian spotted Mumbo out of the corner of his eye and turned to him. He gave him a happy wave. Mumbo turned away and headed into the shop, getting the materials he needed, and left quickly.

“Huh. Weird.” Grian said to himself. He shrugged the interaction off and continued his conversation with Joe and Cleo.

Grian saw Mumbo later that day as well, but when Grian came close, Mumbo turned away.

Mumbo didn’t really want to be around Grian at the moment. His new personality felt so fake. 

Grian became annoyed at being ignored. He wasn’t used to people ignoring him now. 

He decided to talk to Scar and Bdubs.

He found the two of them hanging up some more mayoral campaign posters. They had kept up with the race even with all the drama going on.

Grian came up behind them.

“Heeeey guys!” 

Scar turned around.

“Grian. Hi.” Scar gave him a polite nod. 

Bdubs finished tacking up a poster and turned around. “Hello!” He said with a happy smile.

Scar elbowed him to tell him to be more serious. Bdubs nodded. “Oh, right. I mean, hi.”

Grian sighed. “Do you guys know what’s going on with Mumbo? He’s been avoiding me all day, and I don’t know why.”

Scar exchanged a skeptical look with Bdubs. “You...don’t know why?”

Grian nodded.

“I think you should talk to him yourself.” Bdubs told the bird.

“I...I’ll try. Hopefully he won’t run this time.” Grian turned around and took off.

Mumbo paced around the HQ. He was trying to gather his thoughts and compose a statement. He was going to confront Grian and ask him why he suddenly became...unbearable.

With a sigh, Mumbo gave the twins a nod. They nodded in response. Mumbo took them up in the lift. Grum stayed at the HQ with Jrum and Sahara.

Mumbo spotted Grian standing by himself on a platform dock away from the shopping district.

“Let’s go.” Mumbo readjusted his glasses.

The roboticist and the twins headed towards the bird.

“Grian. I need to talk to you.” Mumbo said firmly.

“Great! I need to talk to you too.” Grian replied. He was in his hero form.

The sun was setting and the light cast dramatic shadows on the four of them. The twins stood back, giving their parents some space.

“Why have you been avoiding me?” Grian asked simply.

“Why have I been avoiding you? Why have you been avoiding your children?” Mumbo calmly shot back. “Grian, what’s happened to you? You’ve become...well, to put it plainly, a jerk.”

Grian stepped back. This surprised him. “What do you mean,  _ a jerk _ ? Are you-...Are you saying that you don’t like that I can be confident? That I don’t need you to be my emotional support friend?”

Mumbo exhaled heavily. “Well, you made your daughter think you hate her!”

“Oh ho ho, so  _ that’s _ what this is about.” Grian felt anger build in him. “I told you that I didn’t want another kid! You betrayed me! You  _ stole _ Sunshine’s sweater from me. And now you’re blaming it on me?”

“Fine. I know. I was wrong, and I recognize that. I shouldn’t have built Sahara, and I am sorry, Grian. But what about your other children? Jrumbot misses you! He keeps asking me when his father is going to come visit him. I don’t know what to tell him anymore! You’ve changed Grian.”

“I-...I thought you…” Grian paused. “You told me that you would still love me and be my friend, even if I became a bird. Why can’t you love me and be my friend when I’m like this? This is who I am, Mumbo. I became a superhero and gained confidence, just like you wanted.”

“You’ve blown off your family to chase fame instead.” Mumbo looked up at Grian.

“I didn’t even want this family in the first place! You threw me into this situation without my consent!”

Mumbo started to become angry. 

“Grian. You’re no  _ friend _ , you’re no  _ father- _ ”

“THEN WHAT AM I MUMBO?” Grian yelled out.

Mumbo sadly chuckled. “You’re just a  _ pesky bird _ .” He spoke those words with such disgust and reproach that it physically stung the bird.

Grian’s heart sank. But his pride wouldn’t allow him to give up the argument.

“Yeah! I’m a bird, Mumbo! But  _ YOU  _ don’t understand what I can do!  _ YOU  _ don’t understand what I’m capable of!  _ YOU _ don’t understand my abilities!”

Mumbo looked at Grian. He started to yell.

“Oh! I  _ understand _ them alright! Even the ones you don't want me to know about! The night you blacked out? You wouldn't listen to me so I THREW MYSELF OFF OF MY BASE to snap you out of it. I  _ TRUSTED _ you with my LIFE to HELP you.” Mumbo’s face was red with anger.

“What?” Grian blinked in confusion and disbelief. His scary demeanor started to fade.

“Yeah G, and it was a mistake I’m not gonna make again. But you wanna know what I saw? You know what I saw that saved me? A bird. A giant freaking bird.

So don’t you say that I don’t understand your abilities. If  _ YOU _ had trusted  _ ME _ like I did with you, maybe we wouldn't be here right now!” Mumbo clenched his fists.

Grian looked afraid. He looked down at his hands, and then back at Mumbo. “I-“

“I don’t want to hear any excuse you have right now Grian. At this point, you're just wasting my time and filling  _ my _ children's mind with behaviours I will not let stand.” Mumbo took a step back. Grian stood there in disbelief.

“Im sorry, Grian. I’m sorry that I helped you become the most  _ arrogant _ and  _ self-centred _ man I’ve ever had the displeasure of knowing. Don't try to talk to me or my kids. I don't even want to see a single FEATHER around them.” 

“Mumbo-” Grian tried to speak. 

Mumbo glared and shook his head at his ex-friend. “Goodbye, Grian.” He turned around. “Let’s go.” He told the twins. They gave Grian a dirty glare. 

“FINE! GO! I DON’T NEED YOU! I’M BETTER OFF WITHOUT YOU!” Grian called after Mumbo. 

His friend didn’t turn around. He just kept walking.

Grian turned and flew into the air. “I don’t need him. Or the kids. I’m perfectly capable by myself. I have all the approval I need.” 

But Grian could feel he was lying to himself. He wouldn’t let himself admit it.

As Mumbo marched back to the HQ, his fists still clenched, he felt hot tears streaming down his face. 

It all escalated too quickly. He said things he didn’t mean. 

Mumbo had told Jrum that he would bring Grian back to visit him. But, of course, he couldn’t deliver on that promise. 

As the lift opened up, the twins looked at their crying father. He didn’t look alright.

The lift brought the three of them down. The twins hurried out first and ran to Jrumbot, comforting him and telling him that it was all going to be okay.

Jrum was confused, of course.

Mumbo walked out the lift. He felt his anger dissipate, and he let his despair take over. He was crying.

Jrum became concerned. Mumbo came over to his baby.

“Papa! What’s wong? Whewe’s Daddy?” Jrum started to panic. Mumbo crouched down in front of the little boy.

“Grian’s...Grian’s not coming home anymore Jrum. He broke my heart.” Mumbo’s voice wavered when he said this. He started to cry a bit harder. He removed his glasses and set them aside.

Jrum started to cry as well, but he couldn’t produce tears.

“Is...Is Gwian still my Daddy?” He asked his father.

Mumbo felt himself break even further. He felt tears fall from his face as he shook his head. “N-no, Jrum. He’s...not. I’m sorry, baby.”

Jrum broke down in “tears”. Mumbo sat fully on the ground and held Jrum close, rocking back and forth to calm his child. The longer Jrum cried, the sadder Mumbo became. 

The twins stood by, wanting to help, but not knowing how.

Grum and Sahara ran in at the sounds of sadness. Sahara climbed into the embrace and hugged both her father and her brother. She was crying as well. Grum looked hurt. He sat down on the couch and let himself fall over onto the cushion. He just laid there, not saying anything.

  
  


Grian stood on the top on Mumbo’s base, on the same pillar that Mumbo had fallen off of weeks prior.

It wasn’t even that long ago, but it felt like years.

Grian started to feel sick. He felt the weight of his wings on his back, and all the self-loathing he thought had disappeared came back.

He sat down on the edge.

Mumbo’s words had cut him like a sword.

He tried to pretend they didn’t affect him, but now he just felt alone.

He started to cry when he realized that Mumbo didn’t want him to see their kids anymore.

Grian thought that he would be relieved at the removal of responsibility, but he felt so very much alone. He had no one.

He had blown off everyone.

Mumbo hated him. The kids probably hated him. Scar and Bdubs probably didn’t like him too much at the moment, if they even knew.

But...the rest of the hermits didn’t hate him. He tried to focus on the love they gave him. It made him feel better.

He wondered how long he could just ignore the problems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiT OR MISS  
> MUMBO TOOK THE KIDS, HUH  
> YOU GOT SOME WINGS  
> I BET YOU WOULDN’T MISS EM
> 
> Btw, uhh  
> Mumbo’s the poet B)  
> ReMeMbEr hOw hE wAs sIngInG thAt pArT oF tHE sOnG?? >:)
> 
> YOU DON’T KNOW HOW LONG THE DADSKALL CHAT AND I HAVE BEEN PLANNING THIS
> 
> Thank you Cry for writing part of their argument. It felt so GOOD!
> 
> I could not wait to write this chapter, so I finished it during math : )


	33. Cause and Effect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I know you’ve forgotten me.  
> I know you so well, my friend.  
> I know you might just throw yourself over,  
> But I won’t let you.  
> I won’t let you.  
> It’s all on me.
> 
> And I remember this family, I remember their kindness, and if I never sleep again...
> 
> I will stand in the dark for you.  
> I will hold you aback by force.  
> I will stand here right outside your door.  
> I won’t see you disgraced.  
> I will protect your name and your heart  
> Because I miss my friend...  
> Because I miss my friend...  
> Because I miss you, my friend...”

Mumbo woke up to someone shaking his shoulder. He was on the floor in the HQ’s living room. He looked up to see Grumbot, his eyes full of distress.

“Dad! Jrum’s missing!” 

Mumbo sat up quickly. He grabbed his glasses and took Grum’s hand, running towards the lift.

Mumbo started to panic. “What do you mean by ‘missing’?” 

“I mean that we can’t find him! He disappeared like a half hour ago! I thought he’d be in the Jrum shop with Charlie and Gellie, but he wasn’t there. He hasn’t responded to any of our messages either.” Grum was breathing heavily, despite not needing to breathe.

The lift doors closed and it brought Grum and Mumbo to ground level.

It was late at night now, around 11 PM. It had started to rain.

“We need help.” Mumbo looked at his son. Grumbot nodded.

“We already asked Scar and Bdubs to keep an eye out for him. I think they’re searching as we speak.” The robot told his father.

Mumbo rubbed his eyes with his hands, pushing his glasses up. 

“Oh goodness, this is my fault, isn’t it.” 

Grum didn’t say anything. He just took his father to help search.

  
  


Scar and Bdubs were searching with Circuit as Mumbo searched with Grum. Amelia stayed behind to look after Sahara.

They checked Grian’s mansion (thankfully he wasn’t there), Mumbo’s base, and just about everywhere else that Jrum knew.

Scar told the others that Jrum must be with Jellie, since he was having a hard time summoning her.

It seemed hopeless.

Mumbo stood in a clearing in the now pouring rain, completely soaked. He cried out Jrum’s name, falling to his knees. The rain ran down the lenses of his glasses, making it difficult to see. The trees surrounding the clearing were tall and seemed to mock him.

Grum stood near. He was soaked as well, but he was waterproof. He wanted to comfort his father, but he wasn’t sure how.

Mumbo sat there on the ground, letting the rain fall on him, crying. He’d failed as a father, hadn’t he. 

“JRUM I’M SORRY!” Mumbo sobbed. Grum wished he could cry.

Grum got a notification from Circuit a minute later.

“Dad! They found him!”

Mumbo turned to look at Grum. “Th-they did?”

Grum nodded and extended his arm to help his father up. Mumbo took it and the bot pulled him up.

“Follow me, I’ve got the cords.” Grum took his father’s hand and ran towards Jrum’s location.

  
  


Grian was perched in a tree. It was raining, but he held his giant wings above his head as an umbrella. He heard distant calls, and he could tell that someone was searching for somebody.

The calls came closer and he saw Mumbo and Grum coming closer.

“JRUM! WHERE ARE YOU?” Grumbot called out.

“J-jrum’s missing?” Grian mumbled to himself. He may not be allowed to see the kids, but...he still cared for them. 

He watched Mumbo fall to his knees, soaked. He cried out in agony and disparity, and it was the pure, pained sob of a broken father. Somehow, that, combined with knowing that Jrum was MIA, felt like the twist of a knife in the wound Mumbo made hours before in his heart.

He watched the man cry for a minute or two, yelling out apologizes to his baby before Grum got news that Jrum had been found.

Grian felt a wave of relief. His son was okay-

No, not _his_ son.

_Mumbo’s_ son was okay.

  
  


Grum and Mumbo arrived at Larry the snail. Scar, Bdubs, and Circuit stood outside.

“He’s in there, but he won’t talk to us.” Circuit informed the pair. Mumbo nodded and stepped inside.

Jrum was in the corner of the room, hugging Jellie and making little sobbing noises.

Mumbo approached him.

“Sweetie, it’s alright.” The roboticist got on his knees in front of his kid. “What’s wrong? Why did you run away?”

Jrum sniffed and looked up and his soaked father. “I needed to pet a kitty.” He said, his voice quiet and sad.

“But we have a kitty. Gellie’s in the shop, remember?” Mumbo spoke gently. It was such a contrast to the screaming he had been doing at Grian hours earlier.

“But she’s Daddy-, er...she’s Gwian’s kitty… and, and, and you...you don’t wike Gwian wight now. So I don’t wike Gwian. So I can’t pet her.” Jrum squeezed Jellie, who was not having it.

“Oh baby...my little baby, it’s okay...Jellie is Scar’s kitty. Gellie belongs to Grian, yes, but he’s too caught up in his heroism to have time to take care of her. So until he comes to get her, she’s your kitty, alright?” Mumbo kindly stroked his son’s face. 

Jrum nodded and let Jellie go. She bolted out into the rain towards Scar.

“Let’s go home, okay dear?” Mumbo picked up the bot and held him close to his soaked body. Jrum curled up in his arms.

Mumbo looked at Jrum for a moment. He...He looked so much like his father. 

The roboticist stood up and exited the snail.

The family headed home. Scar and Bdubs walked with them back to the HQ and said goodbye to them when they reached TVGrumbot.

Circuit had apparently told the pair about the fight, word for word. Scar knew both of his friends had overstepped. Both needed to apologize. But first, they needed to clear their minds and fix themselves.

Mumbo dried himself and Jrum off, giving him a fresh set of clothes. Mumbo himself changed into a plain t-shirt and sweatpants. He was so tired, physically and emotionally. 

He stumbled to the bed and collapsed on it, not sure if he could even cry anymore. He didn’t even bother to take off his glasses.

“I’m such an idiot.” He said outloud in the darkness. He hugged a pillow tightly, and started humming to himself.

He hummed that same dumb song that Grian once sung. He didn’t want to feel this way. He wished he could stop feeling this way.

He must have fallen asleep.

When he woke up, his head was filled with ideas. 

“Building will keep my mind off of this!” He declared as he got dressed for the day. He wore another plain t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and a lab coat. 

He came into the living room of the HQ. The room felt...sad.

His children sat around the TV, watching a show, but it was obvious that they were only doing so to not think about Grian.

“Morning!” Mumbo smiled. The kids turned to look at him. 

“Why’re you so...happy?” Grum asked his father.

“Because now that Grian’s not here, I can build as many robots as I want! I can let you meet the rest of your family! Your Aunt Gracie and Uncle John, and your grandparents!” Mumbo sat down at the counter and pulled out a set of blank blueprints. He started sketching out plans with a white coloured pencil.

“Is...Is that a good idea?” Amelia asked. 

“It’s a great idea, my dear Amy.” Mumbo said in a sing-songy voice.

Mumbo continued to sketch plans for four new robots. Each set of blueprints had a name written on them. 

Justin Jumbo (in parentheses, “Dad”), Delilah Jumbo (in parentheses, “Mum”), Jonathan Jumbo, and Grace Jumbo.

Mumbo’s smile was wide as he created the plans. 

His children watched in worry.

As he finished the blueprint for Grace, Mumbo paused. He set down the coloured pencil and got it. The roboticist walked over to Sahara, who was cuddled up in Grumbot’s lap on the couch.

Mumbo kneeled down in front of her and stroked her face. “Hey sweetie.”

Sahara blinked and sat up. “Hi Mommy.” She rubbed her eye. 

“I need to return some of Grian’s things, and well...that includes your sweater.”

Sahara looked down at the star-pattered sweater she was wearing. She looked back up at Mumbo and nodded. “I know.” She raised her arms up.

Mumbo took the sweater and pulled it off over her head. He smoothed out her tousled hair and kissed her on the forehead. 

“Dad, do you want my sweater too?” Grumbot pointed at the red jumper he wore. It was one of Grian’s.

The man hesitated. “I-...yes.”

Grum took off his father’s sweater and handed it to Mumbo. He waited expectantly, looking up at Mumbo with hopeful eyes.

The roboticist smiled and smoothed Grum’s hair and kissed him on the forehead as well. Grum hugged his father around the neck.

“I love you Dad. I’m...I’m sorry about Da-...Grian.” 

Mumbo stepped back when Grum let go. “It’s alright, kiddo. It’s not your fault.” The tall Englishman took the two sweaters and looked down at them as he walked to his workshop. 

He pulled out an empty shulker box and set the sweaters in it. He turned to his chest of personal items and looked inside.

He pulled out a picture of him and Grian from Season 6. Mumbo set it gently in the shulker box.

Mumbo looked in his inventory, suddenly remembering something. He took an ocarina and picture frame out of it and stared at them. He had forgotten to give them back to Grian a while ago.

With a sigh, he placed them in the shulker box. He went over to a pile of clean, folded clothes and took two matching t-shirts off the top of the stack. They were the “Mumbo For Mayor” shirts that Bdubs had made. The whole campaign was Grian’s idea. Mumbo dropped those into the box unceremoniously.

Mumbo stood up with the shulker box in his arms. He walked out of his workshop and into the lift.

When he reached ground level, he headed straight for Grian’s mansion. He didn’t want to fly. He was tired of flying. 

As he walked through the shopping district, he was jolted out of his thoughts by Grian’s laugh. It was his Poultry Man voice, but it sounded...odd. Sounded...hollow.

Mumbo turned around and spotted the feathered man talking with False. The roboticist marched up to the “hero”. 

“Grian.” He said coldly.

The bird turned around. He towered over Mumbo, and for the first time ever, the redstone man felt intimidated. 

“These are yours.” Mumbo quickly shoved the shulker box into Grian’s arms. 

Grian looked inside to find the campaign shirts, his ocarina and photo, a picture of him and Mumbo, one of his sweaters, and the gray star-pattered sweater.

“I-” The bird was confused. 

“I’m dropping out of your silly campaign. The only good to have come from it has been Grum and Jrum. I don’t want to be mayor. I just want to be alone.” Mumbo turned and started to walk away. Grian watched him leave. 

False awkwardly stood there, watching the whole interaction. After Mumbo left, she looked up at Grian. “Did something happen?”

Grian sighed. “Yeah... I’m sorry, False, but I gotta go deal with something.”

She nodded understandably.

The bird raised his wings and flew up into the sky, holding onto the shulker box. He flew towards his mansion. It had stopped raining earlier that morning, but it was still overcast. Storms were approaching.

Grian entered through the roof access port and went into his room. He dumped out the contents of the shulker box on his bed and turned around to face his closet. He pulled out his old school uniform jacket and put that on the pile of memories. Grian scooped all the items up into his arms and hugged them close. He slid down the wall and sat on the floor, his face buried in the sentimentality.

Why did he always lose everyone? 

First, it was Peni…

Then Taurtis…

And now Mumbo…

He wanted to punch himself, but that would hurt. He didn’t want to hurt anymore.

“I just want to forget this all.” He set the items down next to him and stood up.

And as Grian stood in his room, Mumbo stood in his workshop.

Both took a deep breath and decided right then and there what they would do next.

They would focus on the love they got from other people and try to forget each other.

Grian stood in silence before running out of his room and back to the roof port. He flew up through it, closing it as he landed on the roof. 

He would try and just be Poultry Man.

Mumbo stood in silence before running out the workshop and grabbing the plans off of the kitchen counter. He took them back to his workbenches and spread them out.

He would try and just be an engineer.

  
  
  


* * *

Mumbo didn’t know what time it was. How long had he been working? He wasn’t even sure what day it was. Everything blurred together.

He had worked on his robots nonstop.

Everytime he paused, he started to think about the fight. He didn’t like that.

Mumbo’s hands hurt. They were bandaged up. His head hurt. 

He was surely dehydrated. He needed to take a break, but that hurt even more. He sat on the floor.

Amelia walked in. “Father...do you need anything?” She asked politely. 

“I need...water or something. That’d be good.” 

Amelia nodded and exited. She went to the kitchen where Grumbot sat at the counter. He wore a dress shirt with rolled up sleeves. It was what he had been wearing underneath Grian’s sweater. 

“Do you think Dad would mind if I went in and talked to him? He...he always seems too busy.” Grum looked up at his sister. He looked sad, and if he was able to, would have been crying.

Amelia got a glass of water and gave her younger brother a nod. “You can give him this as well.” She handed the glass to Grum.

Grumbot took the water and hesitantly stepped into the workshop. Mumbo was sitting on the floor, mumbling to himself.

“Dad?” Grumbot approached his father and knelt down next to him. He handed the glass to Mumbo, who seemed to barely register that his son was there. 

Mumbo took the water and downed the glass. When he was finished, he set the cup next to him and seemed more energetic than he had just been a moment ago. 

“Back to work.” He said outloud. As he jumped up, Grum took his hand. 

“Dad-” 

Mumbo looked down at his gapped-tooth son. “Huh? What is it?”

Grumbot paused.

“I want...I-...I  _ need _ a hug.” He looked down.

Mumbo was taken aback by this. Grum had seemed perfectly fine whenever he saw him in the past however many days he had been working.

Well, to tell the truth, Mumbo hadn’t been paying much attention to his kids.

He seemed to only be focused on building the next robot.

Mumbo knelt back down.

“Whatever for, Grum?” He readjusted his glasses on his face.

“I miss my Dad.” Grum made a sniffling noise as if he was crying. But he couldn’t produce tears like his little sister could.

Mumbo fell back. The fight between him and Grian had affected his children as much as it had affected himself, but he hadn’t taken that into account.

“And I don’t wanna be alone and ignored.” Grum added, and wiped his eyes. Why did he wipe his eyes? It was such a human action to do, but Grum had nothing to wipe away.

Mumbo scooted towards his son. He had been the first one. The one who called him “Dad”. Did Grum feel ignored when Mumbo was so quick to make more robot children?

Mumbo set his hand on Grumbot’s cheek. He had to fight for his eyes to stay open.

“How long have I been working?” 

“3 days.”

Mumbo thought about that. It hadn’t seemed that long, but perhaps time just felt different when he was trying to ignore his pain.

“This is dumb, but...I sometimes feel like you love the others more than me. Like, you hug and kiss Jrum a lot, and...I really need that sometimes. I was too big and unhuggable for a while, while the other kids were normal sized, and I-”

Grum was cut off by Mumbo putting his arms around him and pulling him close. He hugged his son tightly.

Grum started to “cry” again. He put his arms around his father and hugged back. He felt so touch-starved and he was shaking as he hugged his dad.

Mumbo felt awful. He’d let his son feel like he didn’t love him. He stroked Grum’s hair as he hugged him and whispered, “I’m so sorry, kiddo. I am so, so sorry.” He turned his head and kissed the side of Grum’s head before continuing to hug him. He hummed and rocked back and forth, trying to help his son feel loved. 

Mumbo started to feel himself fall asleep. He couldn’t do that. Grum needed him.

“I wish I could make you human.” Mumbo mumbled to his son. “I wish I could give you the ability to grow up.”

“It’s okay Dad. You’re doing your best.”

“I’ll make you and the others an android body like Sahara’s soon. But I’ll do you first. And once I finish it, I’ll hug you for as long as you need and let you cry on me. How does that sound.” 

Grum nodded. “I would like that.” He even sounded like he was crying.

Mumbo pulled away from the hug to look at his son. 

“You look so much like your father.” Mumbo spoke quietly as he gently stroked Grum’s cheek. 

“I’m sorry.”

Mumbo inhaled sharply. “Don’t you dare apologize for that.” His voice broke as his eyes filled with tears. He broke down in sobs while looking at his son’s face. Grumbot panicked. He didn’t know what to do, so he just pulled his father into a hug and tried to help him.

“Please don’t cry, Daddy.” Grum had never called him that before. It seemed a more childish thing to do for the robot to do.

Mumbo tried to stop crying for his son. But he couldn’t. He was so tired. He wanted to just be a good dad. He wanted to be the kind of father that his kids were proud of, but he had been ignoring their pain just like he had been ignoring his own.

“Remember what I promised you. I will never abandon you.” 

“I know.”

“I love you, Grumbot.”

“I love you too, Daddy.” Grum sniffed and let go of the hug. Mumbo looked disheveled. His hair was a mess, and his eyes were red from fatigue and crying. He had a bit of stubble and his glasses were tear-stained, just like his face. His labcoat already had stains of motor oil and redstone, and a bit of blood too. It had only been 3 days, and yet he was already letting himself fall apart.

“Do you want to talk to Uncle Scar and Bdubs tomorrow?” Grum asked his tired father. He responded with a sleepy nod.

“Do you want me to take you to your bed?”

Mumbo shook his head no, but stopped when he saw Grum’s dismal expression. He nodded.

Grum stood up and bent down, picking up Mumbo easily. He held his father in his arms like a child. The roboticist rested his head against Grum’s metal body. 

Grumbot walked out of the workshop and towards the bed that was set up the corner of the main room. He pulled down the comforter and set Mumbo on top of the bed. He took off his dad’s shoes and set them by the bed. The boy had Mumbo sit up so he could remove the labcoat as well. Once that was finished, he let Mumbo lay down as he tucked him into the bed. 

Grumbot leaned down and kissed his father on the head. 

“Goodnight, Dad. I love you.” 

Mumbo smiled. “I love you too Grum.”

The main room was empty except for Mumbo and Grumbot. Grum looked down. 

“Actually, Dad...could I sleep here with you? I...I keep having nightmares.”

Mumbo opened his eyes. “You...you’re having dreams? You can dream?”

Grumbot nodded. He looked anxious. Mumbo saw his own anxiety in his son. 

“Yes, you can.” Mumbo told his boy. Grum smiled and took off his shoes. He climbed in the bed on the other side of it as Mumbo turned so that he would be facing Grumbot. His son curled up and snuggled against him like Jrum would do. Mumbo chuckled lovingly and hugged his son, giving him a kiss on the head as he started to drift off to sleep.

He had a tinge of worry though, because he too had been having nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song in the summary is “Sonya Alone” from Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812  
> I’ve been listening to it on repeat while writing this chapter  
> Oh man  
> This was the first time I’ve actually cried while writing a chapter...
> 
> Poor Grumbot :((  
> I like to imagine that “Sonya Alone” fits him well in this chapter. (Just replace “my friend” with “my dad”)  
> He feels like Mumbo’s forgotten him, but he will still do what he can to keep his father okay.


	34. Wires and Nerve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “ How'd you like to try pumping  
> Lead through your veins  
> Or have a heart so wet and cold it starts rusting  
> When the world ticks around you,  
> Voices tocking all the time  
> You live for feelings you've never felt  
> Because you cannot feel
> 
> And what is this leaking affecting my eye?  
> Does the oil that is dripping mean this is a cry?  
> Will I ever be something with feelings to hide?  
> Or am I just a boiler with nothing inside?”

_ Mumbo walked through a long hallway full of various doors. Each door was unique, and he knew that opening the wrong one could be dangerous. He stepped towards a pretty blue door with gold trim. The handle was shiny and smooth.  _

_ With little hesitation, Mumbo opened the door. It creaked as he pulled it outwards. Inside, the tall Englishman saw a laboratory. He recognized it from a game he loved. The panels on the walls were clean and new.  _

_ In the center of the room’s ceiling hung a giant robotic core. Mumbo stepped into the lab and approached the robot. It turned, revealing a rectangular white “face” with a yellow light, like an eye.  _

_ “I wasn’t expecting another test subject” The AI spoke and brought herself closer to Mumbo. _

_ Mumbo didn’t step back. “I’m just visiting, GLaDOS. Big fan, by the way.” _

_ GLaDOS brought herself back up. “Oh, it’s  _ you _.” _

_ “You-...you know me?” _

_ “Of course I do. Although, I’m surprised that you got that old robot body to work again, Wheatley.” She spoke that name with annoyance.  _

_ Mumbo was confused. “My name’s not-...”  _

_ He turned as he saw himself in a reflective surface. He was no longer human, but he was now an android, it seemed. His body looked mechanical and his eyes were an electric blue. Underneath his white shirt, a glowing circle of blue could be seen. He stumbled back. _

_ “It’s sad, really. You relied on Chell for so long to bring you to places, but now that she’s gone, you have to use a humanoid vessel. Don’t you miss being like me?” GlaDOS chuckled. _

_ Mumbo sighed. “I...I need to go.” _

_ GlaDOS laughed again. “You can go. Have fun trying to escape though.” _

_ Mumbo bolted towards the door, fully expecting it to disappear or be destroyed. But it was fine. _

_ He flung open the door and ran out. As it slammed shut behind him, he looked at his hands. They were normal, human hands again. He was relieved. _

_ Mumbo shook his head to clear his thoughts and approached an old, paint-chipped door. The handle was rubbed and rusted. He opened it. _

_ As the door creaked open, Mumbo could feel that something was wrong. On the other side was Grian, but...something was off about him. _

_ He had his gauntlet that he had gotten from the Button, but his arms were half-metallic. The man turned around, and Mumbo saw metal plating on his face, similar to the plating on Grum and Jrum’s faces.  _

_ Mumbo took a step back. He had yet to enter the room. _

_ “Mumbo! Great! You’re just in time!” Grian said in a sing-songy voice. _

_ “Just in time...for what?” _

_ “To become perfect!” The seemingly robotic Grian raised his gloved hand and beckoned for Mumbo with his other hand. _

_ Mumbo hesitantly stepped inside the door. It creaked until it was almost closed.  _

_ “Whaddya say?” Grian gave him a look of...hope? The roboticist couldn’t quite place the emotion. _

_ “I-...Alright.” Mumbo adjusted his glasses on his face. _

_ Grian smiled and pointed a finger gun at Mumbo with his gauntlet. He acted like it was a gun and “shot” Mumbo. _

_ The man backwards as if he had really gotten shot. He was now on the shiny, semi-reflective black floor. He looked at his hands… _

_ Metal. _

_ They looked like Grum and Jrum’s hands… _

_ Mumbo looked down at the reflective ground. He had similar metal platings on his face to the ones Grian had. _

_ “You’re perfect.” Grian stepped closer and knelt on one knee, holding up Mumbo’s chin with his gloved hand.  _

_ “You’re not Grian, are you?” _

_ “What does that matter?” The robot laughed.  _

_ Mumbo knew this was wrong. He jumped up, pushing the imposter back.  _

_ “You can go.” Grian smirked. “But you can’t escape.” _

_ Mumbo ignored the threat and ran out the door, making sure it was closed behind him. As he exited the room, he felt himself turn back to normal.  _

_ “What did they mean by that?” Mumbo rubbed his eyes.  _

_ The hallway stretched on for what seemed like forever. Each door was different. Each held something different inside. He needed to find the exit.  _

_ Mumbo began running down the hall. The floor was black as void, and so were the walls. The only things around were the doors.  _

_ He ran for what felt like hours. His shoes made the sound of clanging metal with each fall of his feet. _

_ Finally, he saw what he thought was the end.  _

_ A door that resembled that of Grumbot’s lift stood at the end of the once-infinite hall. _

_ Mumbo reached it and paused to catch his breath. He pressed the lift’s button and the doors slid open. The man stepped inside and watched the doors close. The lift started to bring him down.  _

_ He felt the elevator stop at the bottom and waited for a moment for the doors to open, which they did. He was brought to what looked like the HQ. _

_ Mumbo walked into the main room and looked around. It was empty, but he could hear voices coming from his workshop. _

_ Mumbo approached the workshop and peeked inside. He saw Grumbot, working on a robot that looked eerily like Mumbo. _

_ The roboticist enterted the room, and Grumbot froze.  _

_ “You’re...back” Grumbot turned to face his father. His eyes were wide with disbelief. They were full of tears, somehow.  _

_ “What do you mean, ‘back’? Grumbot, what’s going on?” Mumbo stepped towards his son. _

_ “You left us. Alone. I’ve been trying to build you.” Grum glanced at the Mumbo android he was building.  _

_ “I left? I would never leave!” Mumbo took Grum’s hand. The robot pulled away and shook his head.  _

_ “I don’t trust you much anymore, Mr. Jumbo.” Grum turned away, letting his back face Mumbo. _

_ “You have to believe me Grum!” Mumbo pleaded with the boy, but as he stepped forwards, he tripped on a toolbox. He fell towards the floor, but instead of hitting something hard, he didn’t hit anything at all. The floor morphed into that void and Mumbo began to fall.  _

_ And fall. _

_ And fall. _

_ He fell for what seemed like forever. He couldn’t see anything but the cold, suffocating void around him.  _

_ He looked up to where he had fallen from.  _

_ There was no one to save him. _

_ No hero, no friend. _

_ Mumbo felt himself crash into water. _

_ He woke up. _

  
  


* * *

Scar looked at himself in the mirror with a smile. He readjusted his bow tie and fixed his hair a bit.

The wizard brought a hand up to his face where 3 long scars ran across. Sometimes, they hurt like they did the day he had gotten them. He still vividly remembered the void-black clawed hands that made the slashes. 

He pushed that thought out of his mind as he turned and exited his base. With his elytra equipped, Scar used a rocket to launch himself into the air. He would be meeting with Bdubs outside of TVGrumbot.

Scar flew through the sky, feeling weary of the storm clouds. They didn’t seem to have come any closer since yesterday. He wondered what the forecast would be.

The candidate approached the platform where the mayoral bot stood, his screen black. Bdubs was sitting against the command centre, waiting for his friend.

“Scar!” Bdubs waved to the hermit. Scar landed safely in front of the Boomer.

“Good morning, Bdubs!” Scar smiled. “Does Mumbo know we’re here?”

The sitting man stood and shrugged. He put his hand on the command centre, trying to stir Grumbot out of sleep mode.

“Grum! We’re here for Mumbo!”

The screen on the giant robot lit up. Grum’s eyes looked down at the two hermits. They seemed so small compared to him in this state. 

“Alrighty! The lift’s coming up!” Grumbot beeped.

Scar gave the robot a smile. As the lift opened in the middle of his command centre, the two of them stepped towards it. Scar gave the command centre a kiss while Bdubs quickly hugged the side of it before entering the lift. Grumbot beeped happily before shutting off his screen. The elevator doors slid closed and the lift whirred downwards. 

“Your headband is loose.” Scar pointed at the red band tied around Bdubs’ head. It was slipping down.

“Oh, uh, thanks!” Bdubs smiled and took of the band. 

“Here, let me do it.” Scar moved towards Bdubs and took the red band, wrapping it around his friend’s head and tying it tight enough that it wouldn’t fall, but not so tight that it would hurt. 

“Thanks dude!” The Boomer gave Scar a thumbs-up. 

“No problem.” The wizard nodded as the doors to the lift opened. 

The two of them exited the elevator, the doors sliding shut behind them.

Jrum and Sahara were on the couch playing with Gellie and Charlie. With the slightest movement of Scar’s hand, Jellie materialized out of thin air. For a brief moment, the wizard and his cat had glowing white eyes, which faded after the magic act was finished. Jellie stood at Scar’s feet, rubbing against his legs.

The two children looked up. 

“Uncle Scaw! Bbubs!” Jrum grinned. Scar and Bdubs approached the children. Jellie followed. 

“Hey stinkers!” Bdubs said playfully and gave them both a hug and a kiss on the head. Sahara smiled.

“Is your papa in his workshop?” Scar asked Jrum. The little boy nodded, and then spotted Jellie. He leaned over the couch and picked her up, hugging her tightly. Sahara reached over and pet the cat. 

“Soft.” Sahara said quietly.

“Over here!” A voice called to the hermits.

Scar and Bdubs looked up to see Mumbo poking his head out of his workshop.

The two men gave the children a wave and headed towards Mumbo. They entered the workshop to find what Mumbo would have called “organized chaos”. Blueprints were strewn across the room; On the floor, pinned to the walls, covering the desks. Scrap metal and robotic parts were in piles. 

The room looked better than Mumbo did. Their friend wore a labcoat, along with a t-shirt and jeans. He was wearing a pair of worn tennis shoes. His hair was messy, and he needed a shave. He was working on a robot that resembled Mumbo’s sister, Grace. Scar recognized her from the picture on Mumbo’s desk.

Grumbot sat, studying a blueprint. He looked up when Scar and Bdubs entered. 

“Hey!” He waved. The hermits gave him a friendly wave back. Mumbo looked up.

“Hi you two!” The roboticist smiled. 

“Heeeeey Mumbo.” Bdubs stepped towards the Architech, worried for him. “Have you...like, slept at all?”

Mumbo nodded. “I did so last night. Didn’t feel too great, y’know with the nightmares and all that.” He laughed, but it seemed disingenuous. Grumbot seemed to shrink back at the mention of nightmares.

“How’s the android coming along?” Scar asked politely.

“Oh! She’s just about done! I just...need to...connect these wires….” Mumbo stood behind the tall robot. Now that Scar was closer, he realized that the bot was taller than Mumbo. She must have been seven feet tall.

“Aaaaaaaand done!” Mumbo announced. He closed a panel on the robot’s neck and ran around to the front of her.

After a moment, her eyes opened and she looked around. “Huh, where-” She looked down and saw Mumbo.

“Little bro!” She grinned, her eyes twinkling. He pulled the shorter Jumbo into a hug. Mumbo laughed, and it was full of pure joy. He hugged his robotic sister back.

When Grace let go, she spotted Bdubs and Scar. “Hello there! Mumbo, you gonna introduce me to your friends?”

Mumbo nodded. His entire demeanor had changed from anxious scientist to excited child. He hopped over to Scar and Bdubs, pushing them towards the towering android. 

“This is Scar! He’s a wizard, and he’s running for mayor!” Mumbo pointed to the suited man. 

“And this is Bdubs! He’s good with TNT and he’s Scar’s campaign manager!” Mumbo pointed at the narcolept.

Grave gave them both a handshake. “The name’s Grace Jumbo! I’m Mumby’s big sister.”

“Nice to meet ya!” Bdubs grinned. Scar nodded in agreement.

Mumbo was bursting with excitement and joy. “Oh! Gracie! Guess what!” 

Grace chuckled. “What’s up?” 

Mumbo ran over to Grumbot and pulled him up, bringing him towards Grace. “You’re an aunt!”

Grace studied the robot for a second, before smiling. “You’re a dad?” 

Mumbo nodded happily. “Grace, meet Grumbot!” 

Grumbot stared up at his giant aunt. She looked human, but Grum knew she was a bot like him. He wasn’t sure what to do.

“Aw! He’s so cute! Hi Grumbot!” Grace pulled the robot into a hug. Grum grinned and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her back. He liked having more family.

Grace let go and looked at Grum’s face with a smile. “Does he have a mom?”

Mumbo’s face went red, before his expression turned solemn. “N-no...He  _ had _ another dad, but...Grian and I aren’t on the best terms at the moment.”

Grace nodded in understanding. She saw how sad her little brother looked. “Remember when I was in high school, and Adam broke up with me?” 

Mumbo nodded slightly. 

“Haha, oh man, remember how much a sobbing mess I was? Oh gosh...but it looks like you’re handling this breakup better than I would have.” Grace told her brother.

Mumbo looked embarrassed. “We didn’t break up! We weren’t even together!” 

Grace raised her eyebrow. “Hmm….sure, alright.”

Mumbo pouted like a kid. “Grace!” 

She chuckled and ruffled his already-messy hair. “I’m just teasing!” 

“I know…” Mumbo got very quiet. “I-....I missed you.” He stepped towards his sister and hugged her.

“I missed you too, little bro.” She smiled and returned the hug.

Scar stood awkwardly next to Bdubs as they watched the siblings. Grumbot looked elated as he watched his family members.

“Uh, Mumbo-” Scar spoke up. Mumbo let go of his sister and looked over at his friends. 

“What is it?” He asked.

“We just wanted to stop by and check on you, make sure you were doing alright. I also wanted to tell you that the potion I gave Grian should put his transformation off for at least another month or two...hopefully.” Scar explained.

Mumbo processed the information, and then nodded. He looked up at his sister, who seemed intrigued. “I’ll explain later, Gracie...hey! How about you go into the living room and meet your other nieces and nephews!” Mumbo offered. Grace’s face lit up. 

“How many kids do you have?” She asked with a laugh.

“Five.” Mumbo answered, leading her towards the door. Grace looked proud of her little brother as she exited the workshop. 

Mumbo closed the door and came back to his friends. He looked tired again. 

“Thank you for telling me...even if I don’t necessarily care anymore.”

Scar was confused. “I thought you’d like to know…”

“...Yes. Thank you.” The tall Englishman seemed distant.

“Mumbo, I know this isn’t my place to talk, but…” Bdubs started. Mumbo looked at him. “I don’t think this is particularly healthy. You know, you  _ could _ just...go visit your family.” 

Mumbo shook his head. “No...Grace got married, and her and my brother have moved to different cities. Besides, I’m...not sure how to get there from here.” 

“So building them as robots is the better alternative?”

“Yes. Yes it is.” Mumbo gave Bdubs a harsh stare. The Boomer backed up.

“Mumbo, I’m going to have to agree with Bdubs here. We’re your friends, and we just want you to be happy.” Scar added.

“I  _ am _ happy.” Mumbo turned his stare to Scar. The wizard stood his ground.

“I’m not saying that you aren’t...I’m just saying that you should take a break from building. Go outside, visit your base, hang out with your friends.”

Mumbo looked offended. “You don’t think I can handle myself.”

Scar shook his head. “No, Mumbo, that’s not-”

The conversation was interrupted by a yelp of pain from Grumbot. He fell to his knees and held his head. Mumbo rushed to his son in worry.

“Grum! What’s wrong?” He lifted his son’s head so he could see his face.

Grumbot’s eyes were completely blue, with pink error messages on their display. He tried to speak, but it came out glitchy and broken. Mumbo started to panic. 

“No, no, no, Grum! Tell me what’s wrong!” 

Grumbot’s body started to speak and oil began to drip from his eyes, almost like tears.

“D-D-Dad.” Grum mechanically lifted his hand up towards Mumbo. The father took the hand in his own.  “It-...it h-hurts-”

Mumbo grabbed his son around the waist and picked him up, cradling him like a baby. He dashed past Scar and Bdubs, out the workshop and into the living room towards the lift. Grace wasn’t on the couch, so she must have been in the playroom with the twins, Jrum, and Sahara.

Mumbo pressed the elevator button over and over. The doors to the lift slid open, and Bdubs and Scar ran up behind Mumbo.

The roboticist hurried into the elevator, his friends following behind him. 

“It’s okay, Grum, it’s okay.” Mumbo kept telling his son over and over. 

Grum’s eyes kept dripping oil, and he made glitched sobbing noises. Scar didn’t know what to say. Bdubs stood close to his wizard.

The lift brought the four of them up to the ground level and they rushed out from behind TVGrumbot. The big robot body was smoking and glitching too. 

Iskall stood at the command centre, freaking out. He saw Mumbo out the corner of his eye.

“What did you do!?” The roboticist demanded.

“Oh! Mumbo! I am so sorry! I...accidentally broke your robot…” The swede trailed off as he saw the crying robot in Mumbo’s arms. His friend looked disheveled and he saw the Brit’s face contort in anger when he saw Iskall.

“You hurt my son!” Mumbo yelled at Iskall.

The bearded hermit awkwardly backed up. “I-...It was an accident!”

“Oh, sure! An ‘accident’!” Mumbo clutched his son close to him.

“Mumbo! He’s telling the truth!” Scar tried to convince the roboticist.

Mumbo looked at his friends, looked down at his broken son, and then back at his friends.

“Leave. All of you.” He ordered. 

Scar started to speak. “But we-”

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” Mumbo cried at them. He ran back to the lift and watched the doors slide closed.

Scar and Bdubs stood there in shock. Iskall was confused, and frankly, a little scared.

“What the heck happened? Is he okay?” Iskall turned to Scar.

The wizard shook his head, staring up at the glitching screen on Grumbot. 

“No, I don’t think so.”

  
  


Mumbo hugged his boy as close as he could, getting the oil tears all over his shirt and labcoat. The roboticist sobbed in anger and sadness.

“I’m gonna fix you. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.” Mumbo promised Grum.

His son didn’t reply.

When the doors to the lift opened again, Mumbo bolted towards the workshop, slammed and locked the door, and immediately began working on Grum.

He pulled out a set of plans for Grum’s new android body he was going to build and began to work as quickly and as precisely as he could. 

He heard a knock on the workshop door.

“Mumbo, is everything okay?” Grace spoke from the other side.

“I’m saving my son!” Mumbo loudly answered. “I need to be left alone!”

No response came from the other side, but he knew Grace was still there. He waited until he heard her footsteps retreating before turning his attention back to his glitching son.

Mumbo reached behind Grum’s neck and opened a panel on the back of it. He flicked a switch and Grum’s body stopped shaking. The smoke lessened, but his eyes turned black right before his eyelids closed. He went somewhere between rigid and limp.

Mumbo cursed under his breath as he stared at the oil that ran down his child’s face.

He began to build the new body. He wouldn’t rest until he was done.

He let his son get hurt.

“Never again.” Mumbo mumbled as he worked, glancing at Grum’s broken body. “I won’t let anyone down here again.”

The dream he had the night before came back to his mind. The look of betrayal that Grum had given him…

He wanted to make sure that Grum would never have a need to give him that look. Keeping the others away from his family was his best bet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	35. Sticks and Stones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Tears falling down at the party  
> Saddest little baby in the room  
> Fears, tell me fears, don't get me started  
> I get a little grey hair for every scare you share
> 
> Those aren't meant to bend  
> No, those aren't meant to bend  
> Those aren't meant to bend  
> No, those aren't meant to bend
> 
> I hear your eyes and I see those cries  
> I hear those eyes and I see those cries  
> I can't be the only one who hears you“

“Is...Is this working?” Mumbo mumbled to himself as he pressed the on-switch for his son.

Grumbot lifted his head. He felt different. He slowly looked at his hands…

They looked human. He looked up to see his father.

Mumbo hadn’t slept since Grumbot broke 3 days prior, and it had been even longer since he had shaved or showered. He was covered in motor oil and Redstone, and he had a partial beard. His hair was getting a bit long. The Jumbo family always had fast-growing hair. 

He stared at Grumbot with hopeful, broken eyes. Grum raised up his arm and brought it to his own face. He couldn’t feel metal.

He felt human...in more ways than one.

“D-Dad?” Grum stuttered. Mumbo’s eyes lit up as a smile grew on his face. The father threw his arms around his robot son and started to sob into his shirt. Grum blinked in confusion.

Grum was unsure about so much. What had happened? Was he still a robot? Was he programmed to feel this way? 

These thoughts overtook the bot. He fell to his knees, taking Mumbo down with him. 

“Grum! Are you okay?” Mumbo took his son’s face in his hands, worried that he had messed up. 

Grum could feel his eyes sting. Was he broken again? Was it oil? The robot brought his hand up to his wet cheek as something rolled down his face. When he brought his hand away, the liquid on his fingers was clear. His eyes grew wide in surprise. 

“Dad? I-...I can cry?”

Mumbo laughed through his tears. He nodded happily and wiped the tears from his son’s cheek.

Grum sat in silence as Mumbo gave him a hug. He sat limply, allowing the tears to slide down his face. He felt strange. His head hurt, and he had a pain in his chest. 

“Did you program me to cry? To feel sad?”

Mumbo pulled away from the hug and looked at Grum. “Well, I programmed you to be able to cry. You have the ability to feel sad...I didn’t program you to feel sad at certain things...That’s all you.” He tried to explain.

“Is it really? Am I my own person?” Grum started to question.

“I-...sweetie, I tried to make you be your own person best I could.” Mumbo wasn’t sure what to do. 

“You love me, right?” Grum wiped his eyes with his shirt sleeve. 

“Of course!” The roboticist took Grum’s hands in his own. 

“What does that mean? What even is...love? I...I don’t understand. I know I love you, but what does that mean for me?”

Mumbo sat back. “Grumbot, I-...well, it’s...I don’t know how to explain, I-...” He couldn’t find the right words.

“And the other kids...You built them because you loved how being loved felt...Was my love not enough?” Grum’s vision became blurry as tears blinded him.

“Grum…” Mumbo took off his glasses and rubbed his teary eyes with his bandaged hands. There was a minute or two filled with nothing but the soft sobs of the Architech. Grum felt...horrible. 

“D-Daddy-...” Grumbot hugged his father tightly. “I’m sorry!” 

Mumbo sniffed and put his arms back around the boy. “It’s not because I don’t love you, or your love wasn’t enough...I wanted you to have a family...siblings...that could love you when I couldn’t be there.” 

Grum nodded silently. “S-sorry, I can’t stop thinking about...who I am…”

Mumbo understood that. “I know how you feel, kiddo.” 

The roboticist studied his son’s face. He looked human, and Mumbo couldn’t tell if that hurt him more than it helped. His mustache was fake. Mumbo stuck it on afterwards, since human children don’t have facial hair.

His heterochromic eyes were filled with synthetic tears, and he was ever so slightly cross eyed like his father, but less extreme . He had a sprinkle of freckles across his cheeks, and his teeth were slightly crooked and he still had the gap between them. 

Mumbo had a hard time building the new body for Grumbot. Since Grian had also built him, Grumbot looked like G too. Mumbo couldn’t stop thinking about the bird as he worked on the robot. 

But he had persisted. Before he had put the mustache on, Grum looked so much like Grian. It hurt.

The roboticist pulled Grumbot into another hug, and held him close. He rocked from side to side, humming softly, as Grumbot started to cry harder. 

“Love means that I care deeply about you. I would do anything for you, even if it meant sacrificing myself. Although I hope it won’t come to that.” Mumbo gently answered Grum’s earlier question.

“B-but...I love you...I won’t let you sacrifice yourself for me. I would try to p-protect you, right?” Grum said, his words muffled as he spoke into his father’s messy lab coat.

“A father’s job is to love, protect, and provide for his children. I’m going to keep you safe, Grum dear. I know that things seem hard right now, but...I’ll help you.” Mumbo kissed the side of Grum’s head softly as he continued to rock his son from side to side. He picked Grum up slightly and turned him so that he would be in Mumbo’s arms like a child. Grum curled up best he could and held onto Mumbo, still crying all those tears that he was previously unable to cry.

“I wish I was tiny like Jrum…” Grum mumbled. 

“Why so, Grum?” Mumbo stoked the boy’s fluffy hair. 

“Cuz then I could just...sit in your lap as you work like he does. You could pick me up and carry me around. I wouldn’t be seen as ‘responsible’. I never got a childhood.” The robot explained through his tears. 

“You think I can’t pick you up?” Mumbo gave Grum a loving smile and stood up, still holding the boy in his arms. Grum clutched onto his father’s shirt. 

“I’m not gonna drop you.” Mumbo told him sweetly and held onto his son tightly as he walked to the door of the workshop. He used his foot to push the door open and exited the room. He took Grum into the living room, where Grace was sitting with Jrumbot. 

“Gracie, I fixed Grum.” Mumbo set Grum down on the couch. The boy reluctantly let go of his father. 

Grace looked up at her younger brother, and she inhaled sharply in surprise at the state of him. 

“I-...That’s great Mumbo! I’m so proud of you, but...oh goodness, please take a shower.” Grace looked at Grumbot, who kept having to wipe tears off his face. 

“Do I have to?” Mumbo huffed. 

“Oh my gosh, Mumbo. Don’t make me get Mum.” Grace threatened. 

“HA! I haven’t built Mum yet!” Mumbo laughed triumphantly.

“Okay, you got me there, but seriously...you smell rubbish.” 

Mumbo groaned. “Fiiiine.” 

He walked with heavy steps into his workshop and brought out a fresh set of clothes that were very similar to ones he already had on. He brought those and a towel to the bathroom.

Grace reached over and stroked Grumbot’s hair. “Hey sweetie.” She gave him a loving smile. Jrumbot was asleep on her lap. 

Grum made a small squeak and scooted closer to his aunt, reaching out so he could hug her. She smiled and gave him what he needed. Grumbot cried quietly on her sleeve. 

“Your dad is stinky, isn’t he?” Grace joked. Grum laughed sadly. 

“Yeah.”

* * *

Mumbo stepped out of the shower and dried himself off. He put on his clean clothes and used his towel to dry his hair and face. He walked over to the mirror and used his hand to wipe the steam off of the glass. He used his towel to wipe off the steamy lenses of his glasses. The Redstoner put them on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. 

His hair was very fluffy now since he had just washed it. It was longer than he normally kept it, and his sideburns led into a partially grown beard. Mumbo looked over at the razor on the counter and pushed it away with a slight sigh that seemed more like a chuckle.

The man walked out of the bathroom, hanging up the towel to dry on the rod on his way out.

Grace looked over at her brother as he came into the living room. “Hey! You look better! Still kinda hobo-y, but better!”

Mumbo chuckled and rubbed his face. “Oh, so now I’m a hobo?”

“Mumbo Jumbo? More like Hobo Jumbo.” Grace laughed. Mumbo rolled his eyes and sat next to Grumbot on the couch. The boy was asleep on Grace’s shoulder. Mumbo smiled. 

“Sorry, you just...don’t feel like my little brother, y’know? You look so...old. Honestly, you look older than Dad does.” Grace added. “How old are you now?”

“I-...I’m twenty-four, Grace.”

“Dang, wow...okay, you look like you’re forty-something.”

Mumbo sighed and put his face in his hands. 

“I’m gonna go start on John.” Mumbo pointed behind him to his workshop.

“Mumby, you _just_ finished Grum...take a break.”

“ _No_.” Mumbo stood up and walked to his workshop.

“I can’t get through to him.” Grace mumbled and gave Jrum and Grum kisses on their heads. 

Mumbo entered his workshop to find Sahara sitting on one of his workbenches. “Oh! S-Sahara! Hello dear!”

She waved slightly and looked down. 

“Is something wrong, kiddo?” Mumbo headed over to his daughter.

“I wanna hug.” The little girl sniffed. Mumbo then realized that she was crying. 

“H-hey! Don’t cry! I’ll hug you!” The roboticist took his daughter in his arms, holding her close. 

“Auntie Gwacie towd me to hewp hew teww you to sweep.” Sahara hugged the clean man.

“Oh, she did, did she?” Mumbo was slightly annoyed, but at the same time relieved that his robot sister acted like his actual sister.

“So can we snuggwe, Mama?” The little girl looked up at Mumbo. 

“I-...Yes. I’ll take a break for you, darling.” The redstone man kissed his daughter on the forehead.

Mumbo took Sahara out of the workshop and headed to the lift. He could tell by the minimal light coming in from the glass walls that it was night.

“I’m...taking a break.” Mumbo said with reluctance.

“Good.” Grace smiled. “I love you, Mumby.”

“Love you too, Gracie.” Mumbo felt himself smile. Sarhara waved to her animatronic aunt.

Mumbo entered the lift and it raised the two of them up to ground level. He exited and walked out from behind TV Grumbot. As he walked towards the Jrumbot Shop, he swore he heard something fly up behind him. He turned around, but saw no one. The only thing that he spotted was a single, shimmery purple feather falling down to the platform.

Mumbo felt a powerful mix of anger and sadness in him. He held onto Sahara closer and rushed into the shop.

The bed was unmade still from the last time that Grian had slept in it. He saw another purple feather on the pillow. Mumbo set Sahara down on the shop’s counter and took the feather and went outside. He pulled out his flint and steel and lit the feather on fire. It burned nicely. 

Mumbo walked back inside. Sahara was holding another feather. 

“Sahara!” Mumbo headed over to her. She yelped and dropped the feather. 

“Don’t-...don’t touch them.” 

“W-why?” The little girl started to cry. 

“Because-...because it hurts.”

“I’m sowwee…” Sarhara pulled out a collection of the shimmery feather from the pocket of her dress. Mumbo stepped back in surprise. 

“I thought that maybe if I kept some of Daddy’s feathews...that I could pwetend that he didn’t hate me…”

Mumbo took the feathers out of her hand, his own hands shaking. The man felt tears roll from his eyes on fall onto the watertight feathers. He turned to his daughter and started putting them into her hair. He stepped back when he was done and smiled sadly. 

“He doesn’t hate you, baby…”

Sahara turned to a small mirror on the wall and looked at her reflection. “Pwetty…”

“Yes, yes you are, dear.” Mumbo picked her up and gave her kisses on her face. She giggled happily. She removed the biggest feather from her hair and put it in Mumbo’s fluffy hair. 

“Mama, you’we a pwetty hobo.”

“Not you too!” Mumbo groaned before laughing sweetly. He took Sahara over to the bed and set her down. He took his lab coat off and set it on the floor neatly. 

He slipped into the bed and pulled the comforter up to Sahara, tucking her in gently. He spotted yet another feather left by the bird. Mumbo picked it up and put it in his own hair with a sad sigh. He gave Sahara another kiss on her forehead and held her close as he felt the fatigue take over. 

* * *

2 DAYS AGO 

* * *

Grian flew through the air. He had seen smoke coming from Grumbot the day before, but didn’t want to investigate for fear that Mumbo would see him.

The bird kept his head held high. He shook the thoughts of Mumbo away and tried to get back into the swing of things as Poultry Man. 

“Okay, Grian. You’re a hero. You’re a great hero, and the people love you. They trust you!”

He felt his confidence rise. 

“̇/ᒷꖎᑑ⚍ᔑ!” 

Grian looked down as he flew. He saw the glowing eyes of the Admin through his helmet as he called out to the bird in his native language. Grian made a sharp turn and flew down to talk to him.

“What is it, Xisuma.” He spoke in his Poultry Man voice.

“Oh man, you’re still going off like this, aren’t you?” 

“What does that mean?” Grian tilted his head, pretending to be confused. 

“||𝙹⚍ ꖌリ𝙹∴ ↸ᔑリ⊣ ∴ᒷꖎꖎ ∴⍑ᔑℸ ̣ ╎ ᒲᒷᔑリ.” Xisuma looked up at Grian, giving him a strong glare.

Grian stepped back, afraid. He had never seen Xisuma like this. He’d never seen him mad before. It scared the bird. He shrunk down to his normal size for the first time in what seemed like forever.

“I...I know…” Grian whispered.

Xisuma’s expression softened as he saw the frightened bird. 

“You and Mumbo need to make up because this isn’t good for either of you.” X put a gloved hand on Grian’s shoulder. 

“He...He broke my trust.” 

_And my heart_ , Grian added in his head.

“Alright Grian...It’s obvious you need time to think about this...Now that you’re here, why did you harass Alex like that?”

“I-...I don’t know, ‘Suma…I don’t like who I’ve become.” Grian felt his eyes fill with tears. Xisuma stepped closer and gave Grian a hug. He stroked the bird’s wings and felt the tension leave G’s shoulders. 

“You’ll find yourself again, Grian. I know you will.”

“Hopefully before I turn into a bird…”

Xisuma sighed. “You don’t know if that will actually happen.”

“Yes I do! Mumbo told me that I...that I turned into a bird and saved him back when I told him about Taurtis.” Grian let go of Xisuma and weakly held up his wings. 

“Oh...I see...I-...I’ll see if there’s anything I can do to save you, G.” Xisuma said with a kind and sad smile. Grian couldn’t see it behind the Admin’s mask, but he could hear it in his voice.

“Thank you, Xisuma…” 

“Of course, G.” The bee man gave the bird a nod. “I need to head off and make sure that Alex isn’t trying to kill Etho again.”

Grian chuckled. “I-...What?”

“Long story.” Xisuma laughed and flew up into the air, giving Grian a wave as he headed off. 

Grian decided that he should try and become someone that he liked. Poultry Man wasn’t the right choice anymore.

Until he found out who he was supposed to be, he needed to keep up his confidence for his friends. What good is a superhero if the people can’t believe in him?

* * *

  
Iskall paced around on the branches of his tree. He was thinking about what had happened with Mumbo the day before. 

It was an accident, but his friend didn’t seem to take it that way. 

How was Iskall supposed to know that the robot was Mumbo’s son?

Scar and Bdubs briefly explained Mumbo’s situation to Iskall after the incident, but he was still confused. 

Maybe Grian could help out.

Iskall sat down on one of the branches and looked down. He wasn’t afraid of heights, so he felt very free up here. He breathed in the fresh night air and smiled. The cool breeze made him feel better. 

He was waiting for his hero friend to fly past. Iskall wanted to join Grian as he flew so he could talk to him. Grian’s mood always seemed to improve whenever Iskall was there.

After about 10 minutes, the Swede saw the bird flying through the sky.

“Grian!” Iskall jumped up and flew up with his elytra. He soared towards the superhero. 

“Oh! Uh, hello Iskall!” The feathered man felt small again. He remembered he was his normal size, but he was too tired to be in his hero form. He didn’t realize how much energy it had been taking out of him.

“Can I fly with you?” Iskall asked, a grin on his face. 

Grian nodded. “Sure.”

The two flew through the air in agreeable silence for a minute or two before Iskall spoke up.

“So, what’s up with Mumbo?”

Grian stopped flying forwards and hovered in place. “W-what?”

“He’s...he seems hurt? All I know is you two had a fight of sorts, and that he keeping himself shut in?”

Grian’s breathing quickened as he thought about his “ex-friend.” 

“Grian? Are you alright?” Iskall flew towards his fellow hermit. Lightning was starting to flick off of the bird. One bolt shot at Iskall, but he flew up and out of the way. 

“Hey, Grian! What’s wrong?” The Swede started to worry. 

“N-Nothing.” Grian tried to contain the lightning. He felt his entire body tense as the electricity ran through him. 

“What happened between you guys? One day, you were best buddies, and, uh, had robot children? But now, you dudes seem like enemies…”

Grian shook his head. “Can we-...can we not talk about Mumbo right now?”

Iskall nodded. “Alrighty...So, what about your kids? I-...I feel like I should apologize to you as well…”

“A-Apologize? What did you do?”

“I might have accidentally broken Grumbot? It was an accident! I swear! I don’t know what happened, but Mumbo seemed to snap like a twig and he kinda shut Bdubs and Scar out too.” Iskall tried to explain.

“You broke Grumbot?” Grian’s voice wavered. 

“An accident!”

“I believe you, Iskall...But, I know Mumbo probably didn’t…”

Iskall nodded. 

Grian shuddered in pain as the lightning tried to shoot out from him again. His breathing became even quicker. 

“Hey, Grian, do you need to land?”

Grian shook his head, but flew back as Iskall came towards him. 

“N-no, I don’t wanna hurt you.”

“Hurt me? How are you gonna hurt me? I just thought you might, I don’t know, need a hug?” Iskall kindly offered.

Grian shook his head again as the lightning started to zip from him. “That’ll make it worse.” The bird’s eyes started to glow white as he began to lose control. Iskall flew back in surprise. He dodged a few bolts of the lightning, but they were becoming too fast for him.

A single lightning bolt shot towards Iskall, and he wasn’t quick enough to dodge it. It struck him and disintegrated his already very worn down elytra. 

He fell.

Grian and Iskall made eye contact as the Swede fell through the air, right before the bird lost all control.

Grian couldn’t hear his friend’s cries as he fell through the jungle trees, getting scratched, scraped, bruised and bloody.

The bird exploded with built-up electricity and he lost consciousness. He fell from the sky, tumbling down where Iskall had just fallen, but woke up midair. 

“GAH!” Grian flew up and looked around.

“Iskall?” He called out. He heard nothing.

Grian looked down and saw a piece of torn green fabric on a sharp branch. He realized what must have happened. The bird dove down the soft jungle floor to find the Swede laying in the bushes. 

“I-Iskall?” Grian approached quickly and examined his friend. 

There had been no death message, so he was still alive.

But Grian wasn’t sure how much time he had. 

  
  


Xisuma saw some flashes of lightning, but assumed it was just those storm clouds that had been waiting for days to pour.

It was only when the lightning lit up the entire sky like day without any following thunder that the Admin realized that it must have been Grian.

Something was wrong.

X turned around and stopped his journey to Etho’s and started to fly in the direction of the electric blast. He flew quickly.

His bee wings weren’t fast enough.

The Admin willed his wings to their normal form. Xisuma flew faster than before with his purple feathered wings. He was at the origin of the blast very quickly.

But Grian was nowhere to be seen.

“Grian?” Xisuma called out.

The bird looked up through the jungle trees to see the bee in the sky, looking for him.

Grian didn’t know if he could yell loud enough. He instead called out like a hawk, a sound that pierced through the air.

The Admin was alerted of his location. Xisuma dove down towards the bird.

“Grian! What hap- Oh my gosh, Iskall!” Xisuma ran to his friend as he landed. He opened up his inventory and fumbled through various potions, pulling out a familiar ruby red one.

“Oh my gosh, Grian, what happened to him?” 

“I hurt him!” The bird cried. Xisuma nodded and carefully removed the broken hermit from the bushes. He was unconscious, and had more than one broken bone. His green sweater was torn and bloody. His robot eye was broken, the light on it cracked.

Xisuma stood up and raised the potion bottle above his head. He threw it down forcefully, letting it shatter. 

“This isn’t as effective, but it’ll do for now until he’s awake to drink actual potion.” Xisuma told Grian as swirls of magic surrounded the three of them.

The scrapes on the Swede started to fade, and after a few minutes of silence, the hermit looked less broken and in pain. He seemed more peaceful.

“He’s still hurt, but there’s only so much that potions can do.” The Admin began to make a sling for Iskall’s broken arm. 

“I’m sorry.” Grian peeped quietly.

X turned to the bird. “I-...I’m sure it was an accident. You don’t know how to control your powers, G.”

Grian nodded and let Xisuma work on fixing the “hero’s” mistakes. 

Iskall woke up. Every part of his body hurt. He couldn’t see out of his robotic eye...it must have been broken. 

He was on a couch in front of a fireplace. 

He slowly looked over to his right. In a kitchen sat Grian and who he thought to be Xisuma, although he had never seen the Admin without his helmet before.

Grian glanced at Iskall and nudged Xisuma. The two of them got up and came over to the pained hermit.

“Hey Iskall, how are you feeling?” X knelt down next to him. Iskall tried to shrug but it hurt too much.

“Pain.” He managed to say.

Grian stood off to the side. Iskall wasn’t sure what to say or feel. 

He had trusted Grian with his life. He thought he was a hero, but…

Iskall knew it was an accident. 

But now he knew how Mumbo felt.

Yes, it was an accident, but that didn’t erase the pain it caused. 

Iskall looked away from Grian. 

Grian felt so distant from everything. 

He hated himself again.

Being Poultry Man caused so much more pain than he thought. 

And what was the result?

He hated himself even more than he had before.

_What a terrible idea._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:)
> 
> He took the riskall


	36. Getting Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “ It's not simple to say  
> That most days I don't recognize me  
> That these shoes and this apron  
> That place and its patrons  
> Have taken more   
> than I gave them
> 
> It's not easy to know  
> I'm not anything   
> like I used be, although it's true  
> I was never attention's sweet center  
> I still remember that girl
> 
> She's imperfect, but she tries  
> She is good, but she lies  
> She is hard on herself  
> She is broken and won't ask for help  
> She is messy, but she's kind  
> She is lonely most of the time  
> She is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie  
> She is gone, but she used to be mine”

Grian sat high up in a tree next to Xisuma’s house. He didn’t want to go back inside. 

If he went back inside, he would have to face Iskall, and that just hurt too much. His friend had believed in him, had trusted him, and Grian let him down. He hurt his friend, and he almost died because of him. 

Grian tried to focus on the praise that the other hermits gave him when he was Poultry Man. Normally, that would help him feel better, but now he just felt even worse. He looked down at his arm and sighed at the sight of feathers. 

Aleighnya’s potion had worked, but he was still changing. Maybe it would be better if he was a bird. At least then he couldn’t let people down.

Grian looked down at the base next to him. He could see clearly though the window with his eagle eyes. Iskall was laying on the couch in obvious pain. 

The sun was beginning to rise.

Another day, another friendship destroyed.

  
  


The bird froze as he heard voices. 

“Let go of me, you anime knockoff!” 

Grian looked below him and saw Etho carrying Alex over his shoulder walking towards Xisuma’s base. Etho laughed and knocked on X’s door.

The bird could see Xisuma get up from beside Iskall and walk to the door, putting on his helmet on the way. He opened the door.

“Etho!” Xisuma greeted his friend apologetically. 

“Here’s your brother.” Etho unslung Alex from over his shoulder and put him in X’s arms. 

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” 

“HA! Nope. I’m too fast for him.” The ninja pulled down his mask and stuck his tongue out at the nether soldier. Alex promptly flipped him off. 

“You’re a disgrace to Kakashi.” The angry man jumped out of his brother’s arms and went inside.

“Man...He’s still not over the whole ‘me squashing the strawberries one year on accident’ thing, is he?” Etho pulled his mask back up.

Xisuma sighed. “Obviously not. Gosh, I just wish he could let stuff go. He still hasn’t forgiven me for being the one who got our dad’s suit after he died.” 

Etho nodded. “Any idea how I could get him to stop hating me? I’d rather not have to constantly be on the lookout for him.”

“Maybe if you give him strawberries or something.” Xisuma suggested. He sounded tired. 

“Good idea.” Etho replied. “Hey, you alright?” 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” Xisuma gave him a weak thumbs up. 

“Cool, because, uh, your wings are showing.”

X looked over his shoulder to see his Admin wings. 

“Thanks.” Xisuma chuckled. He willed the wings back to their bee form.

“See ya later, zoomer.” Etho waved. X waved back and closed the door. 

Grian watched the Canadian walk from the door. The bird looked up into the sky, but when he looked back down, Etho was gone.

“Looking for someone?” 

Grian jumped up from the branch he was sitting on and turned around as he flew a foot or two above the tree. Etho was sitting on a branch behind him. 

“Did I startle you?” The ninja laughed.

“I-...yeah, kinda!” Grian lowered himself back down onto the branch, this time facing Etho.

“You seem down. You good?” 

Grian thought for a moment, and then shook his head. “Not really.”

“Let me guess, you don’t wanna talk.”

Grian nodded. 

“Cool, cool, I get that….so, are ya spying on Xisuma?” Etho glanced down at the base below them.

“No...I just...don’t wanna go back inside.”

Etho nodded silently. 

“Cuz if I go back in there, I have to see the mistake I made.” Grian continued.

Etho listened, not saying anything.

“And I thought I was a hero! I thought I was this really cool, confident hero that everyone believed in, but I’m not, and I hurt people because I kept believing a lie.” 

Etho sighed. “You’re strong, G. You can get through this.”

Somehow, the ninja’s words made him feel a tiny bit better.

“Thanks….hey! You made me talk about it!” Grian realized.

“I have that power over people sometimes.” Etho snickered and gave the bird a thumbs-up before leaping out of the tree, teleporting to the ground while he was midair. 

Grian decided that Etho was right. Maybe he  _ could _ get through this.

He swooped down to the front door and went inside. X had left it unlocked for him.

When he entered, Xisuma was talking to Alex in the kitchen. The nether twin was shoving ramen into his mouth while X told him to stop harassing Etho. They both looked over when the door opened.

“Oh, look, it’s  _ you _ .” Alex rolled his eyes and turned back around. Xisuma gave Grian a sympathetic look. 

The bird came up to Alex and willed himself to his hero form. Alex looked over at G from the corner of his eye. 

Grian waited until the man had swallowed his bite of food before wrapping his giant arms around him and hugging him tightly. 

“I’m sorry for being a jerk.” Grian apologized. 

Alex struggled to breathe. “It’s...fine! Just...let...go of me!”

Grian released the soldier. “Sorry.”

Evil X waved him off. “I said it’s chill.”

Grian looked at X, who shrugged. 

“Thank you.” Grian smiled slightly and turned around to face his bigger mistake. Iskall was laying on the couch. G couldn’t tell if he was awake or not.

Xisuma walked over to Alex and took him by the wrist. Alex held onto his bowl of ramen as X pulled him upstairs to give the two hermits some privacy.

Grian shrunk back down and sat down in front of the couch, his back on the edge of the cushion. He stared into the fireplace, letting the warmth of the flames warm his cold feet.

“Iskall...are-...Are you awake?” 

The Swede nodded weakly. “Yeah.”

“I...I failed you, didn’t I?”

Iskall didn’t respond for a moment. “You just got a lot going on.” 

“But you trusted me, and I let you down.” Grian looked over his shoulder at Iskall. The light on his robot eye wasn’t on.

The Swede looked at him, and didn’t say anything.

Grian turned back around and pulled his knees up to his bare chest. The two sat in silence for a few minutes.

The bird felt something touch his wings. He looked back over his shoulder to see Iskall’s unbroken arm softly petting the feathers. He was smiling. 

“I forgive you, bro.” The hermit told the bird. 

Grian stood up and looked down at Iskall. He shrunk down to hummingbird size and fluttered up next to his friend on the couch. The Swede laughed before wincing in pain. He gave Grian a nod.

The little bird climbed up the pillow and sat next to Iskall’s head. He turned and gave the side of his face a hug. 

“Don’t beat yourself up about it.” Iskall told his friend. 

“It’s kinda...kinda hard not to.” Grian leaned his small head against Iskall’s face. 

A moment of silence. 

“I think I wanna talk now.” The bird whispered. 

“About Mumbo?”

“Yeah…”

Grian took a deep breath before beginning. “I guess I owe you some sort of explanation about the robots. Mumbo and I built Grumbot, that big one, and he sort of...adopted us as his, uh, his...his dads. He did that when I wasn’t there. Mumbo really liked being a dad, I guess, and so he built three more. And he shoved this responsibility on me.

“I was fine with them though, because they seemed really excited to meet me, since I was their dad too. I didn’t like the idea at first, but I grew to love them too. It was Jrum and Mumbo’s idea for me to be a superhero. I didn’t want to, but I did it for Jrum…

“But by becoming a superhero, I changed. I became this man who I can’t even recognize as me… 

“And I abandoned-...I abandoned my  _ family- _ ” Grian’s voice broke as he started to cry. Iskall moved his unhurt arm up and softly touched Grian on his shoulder. 

“But then, Mumbo broke a promise, and made another kid when I said I didn’t want one. I...I know he shouldn’t have done it, but I shouldn’t have acted so awful to Sahara…, er, she’s the robot Mumbo built…And then when Mumbo and I came together to talk to each other about the problems between us, it got really out of hand and we kind of...shut out each other…”

Iskall nodded slowly as Grian talked. It was comforting to be able to talk to someone about this.

“I thought that I could still be a hero. I told him that I didn’t need him. But... _ I do _ . All that confidence was only there because I knew that Mumbo believed in me. But now that I don’t have him anymore, I’m even worse off than before.”

Grian finished his explanation, and sat quietly on Iskall’s shoulder.

“I think Mumbo’s not having a good time either.” The Swede spoke up after a few minutes. “He seemed really...frazzled. He was all messy and stuff. He was  _ angry _ and he yelled at me. He’s...he’s never done that before.”

Grian wiped his eyes. “I should talk to him. I gotta...I gotta apologize.”

“You can’t ask for his forgiveness if you haven’t forgiven yourself.”

The bird cooed sadly and nodded. “Yeah.”

“Don’t worry, bro, you got me and the others to help you. We love you.” Iskall smiled and turned his head to face Grian. The bird wrapped his wings around himself and looked at Iskall.

“After I, um, lost my best friend...it was hard to think I could make any friends that I felt close to after that, but...but I don’t think that anymore. You guys are the best friends I could ask for.” Grian managed to say.

  
  


* * *

Grian flew through the cold night air. It was unnaturally chilly for this time of year. The storm clouds sat on the edge of the sky, waiting for the perfect moment to bring their downpours. 

The bird wanted to see Grumbot. Iskall said he had accidentally broken him.

Grian forgave his friend. It was an accident, and Iskall had apologized more than once to him. 

G knew that Grumbot wasn’t his kid anymore. But...he still missed him. He missed Jrum, and the twins. He missed Mumbo. He even missed Sahara, despite not knowing her at all.

The man swooped down when he approached TVGrum and flew in front of his dark, cracked screen. His head was tilted to one side and his arms were limp. Grian chirped sadly and flew up to Grum’s head. He landed on top of it and laid down on his stomach, peeking over the edge of the head to see the screen. 

Grumbot felt empty. There was no electrical buzz that normally ran through the bot. 

It hurt Grian. 

The bird kissed the top of Grum’s head and looked up into the dark, starry sky. 

Grumbot liked hugs. 

Grian used to hate them.

The feathered man wished he could hug his son one more time. 

Grian laid in silence for a long while, until he felt the whirring of the lift beneath him. Panicking, G stayed still and peeked over the edge to see who it was.

Mumbo walked out of the lift, holding Sahara.

Iskall was right about Mumbo looking frazzled. His hair was longer than Grian had ever seen it, and he was starting to grow a beard. It was really odd to see.

Mumbo walked with Sahara towards the Jrumbot shop. G waited until Mumbo’s back was to him before zipping off into the sky.

He looked at Mumbo from the shopping district. The man turned around and saw one of Grian’s feathers. The bird winced as he recalled what Mumbo had told him during their fight.

“Welp, I left a feather.” Grian felt a strange rush of fear go through him as Mumbo turned back around. He could see the anger on the man’s face. He walked into the Jrum shop. Grian was about to fly off again, but Mumbo came back outside. He was holding one of G’s feathers in his hand. He lit it on fire with flint and steel. It burned into nothingness.

Grian didn’t like the look on Mumbo’s face when he burned the feather. G flew into the sky and towards Xisuma’s house after Mumbo went back inside. 

  
  


* * *

Mumbo woke up. Sahara was cradled in his arms, the feathers still in her hair. The roboticist smiled sadly and kissed her on the forehead. 

The little bot opened her eyes. “Good mowning Mama” Sahara sat up and rubbed her eyes. Mumbo picked her up from beside him and held her to his chest as he sat up in bed. 

“Good morning, my dear.” 

She hugged him as he stroked her hair. He sat there with his baby for a few minutes before setting her back down and standing up. He grabbed his lab coat and slipped it on. As he leaned down to pick Sahara back up, one of the feathers in his own hair fell out. Sahara caught it.

Mumbo picked his daughter into his arms and let her put the feather back in his hair. 

The redstone man took his little girl back down into the HQ. Amelia and Circuit were sitting on the couch, drawing something on pads of paper. 

Mumbo smiled when he saw them. He came up to them and gave them both a kiss on their heads. “Morning, loves.”

“Good morning, Dad!” Circuit grinned. 

Amelia smiled. “Morning!”

Mumbo headed to one of the bedrooms he had added onto the base. He realized that if he was going to be building his family, the HQ would need to be bigger.

He knocked on the door and waited for an answer. He was greeted by Grace opening the door. She smiled at the sight of Mumbo.

“Hey little bro!”

“Hiya Gracie.” Mumbo smiled and gave her a side hug, still holding Sahara in his other arm. “Where are Grum and Jrum?”

Grace opened the bedroom door wider. Sitting on the neatly made bed was Grumbot with Jrum in his lap. The older brother was holding a book and reading it outloud to the baby. Jrum looked happy. 

“Thank you, Gracie.” Mumbo gave her a loving smile. 

“It’s no problem!” His older sister nodded. 

“I’m going to start on John today.”

“Do you need me to watch Sahara?”

Mumbo nodded and gave his little girl a kiss before handing her off to her aunt. Sahara put one of the feathers from her hair into Grace’s hair. 

From the bed, Grum looked over at his father. They made eye contact. Mumbo gave his son a smile, which made Grum feel warm inside. Jrum saw his father as well. He jumped out of Grum’s lap and scurried to his dad excitedly.

“Papa! Papa! Can I be a hooman wobot wike Gwum too?” 

Mumbo chuckled. “I plan on building new bodies for you and the twins after I finish your Uncle John and your grandparents.”

Jrum beamed. “Yay! Can I hewp?” 

Mumbo nodded and picked up Jrumbot. Grace smiled. 

“Well, I better get started.” The roboticist gave his sister and his kids a wave as he took Jrum into the workshop. 

It was clean.

“That’s...odd…” Mumbo mumbled to himself as he examined the neat workroom. All the materials and plans needed to build John were set up neatly, and the base of the droid was already built.

Did he do that?

Mumbo was pulled out of his thoughts by Jrum’s giggles. 

“Suhpwise!” Jrum announced. “We stawted fow you!”

Mumbo grinned joyfully and gave Jrum a big kiss on the cheek. 

“Aw I love you guys so much.” He ran a hand through his fluffy hair. 

Jrum wiggled his way out of his father’s arms and ran to the robot.

He picked up a wrench.

“Buiwding time!” The baby laughed.

Mumbo came over to him and started the work on John.

* * *

He had taken off his watch. He didn’t want the time of the day to pull him away from his work. 

He ate when he was told to, showered when Grace told him he needed it. He took naps when Amelia told him she was worried.

Even with all those interruptions, Mumbo seemed more efficient than ever. He felt more happy than he had in a while. Having Jrum to help out also sped up the work.

John was done in less time than Grace had been. Mumbo excitedly set Jrum down on a workbench and activated the robot.

Jonathon Jumbo was Mumbo’s older brother. He was younger than Grace and shorter than her, but he still stood at a towering 6’8. He had black hair that was in a similar style to Xisuma’s. While building his brother, Mumbo realized how much the Admin looked like John.

His brother opened his eyes and immediately laughed at the sight of Mumbo. 

“Mumbo! You look like a hermit!” John commented on his younger brother’s unbrushed hair and growing beard. 

“I  _ am _ a hermit.” Mumbo said this, and immediately realized that he was a hermit in both senses of the word. 

John grinned. “I know.” He hugged his younger brother. When he let go of Mumbo, he spotted Jrumbot.

“Hello! Who’s this?” John made his way over to the baby and picked him up. Jrum giggled as John booped his nose.

“That’s one of my kids! John, this is your nephew, Jrumbot!” 

“Man...can’t believe you became dad before me.” John joked. Mumbo rolled his eyes. 

“C’mon, let’s introduce you to the others.”

Mumbo led John out of the workshop and into the living room. Grace, Sahara, and Grum were reorganizing the kitchen for the fifth time while Amelia and Circuit were playing a blocky game on the TV. 

Grace looked up when Mumbo walked out of his workshop. Her eyes lit up when she saw John following behind him. 

“Johnny!” Grace hurried out of the kitchen and towards her younger brothers. John grinned happily when he saw his sister.

Grace hugged John, who was still holding Jrumbot, and then looked at Mumbo. 

“I think he’s avoiding shaving or something.” Grace loudly whispered to John. 

“I can  _ hear _ you. I’m right next to you.” Mumbo sighed. His older siblings snickered. 

“I’m just teasing, you hobo.” Grace gave Mumbo a kiss on the cheek before pulling John and Jrumbot to meet the others.

Mumbo smiled and headed to the bathroom. He closed the door softly behind him and looked at himself in the mirror. 

“Ha, I really am a hobo, aren’t I?” He chuckled to himself. Mumbo sighed and sat against the wall of the bathroom. 

“What am I doing?” Mumbo looked at his bandaged hands. 

“I’m building my family.” He answered his own question. 

Mumbo’s eyes were drawn to his lab coat’s breast pocket. A shimmery purple feather stuck out of it.

“Goodness, I miss you.” Mumbo pulled the feather out and held it up to his face. 

An idea popped into his head. His grin grew wide and his eyes almost sparkled with enthusiasm. He ran out of the bathroom, holding up the feather. 

“I AM A GENIUS!” He declared while laughing loudly. He rushed into his workshop and closed the door behind him.

Grace sighed when Mumbo did this. She turned to John. “There he goes again. He...he does this a lot.”

John frowned. “Doesn’t he have friends?”

Grace nodded, and then shook her head and shrugged. “He kinda...shut them out.”

Mumbo couldn’t contain his happiness. He set the feather in his hair and began to draw out plans.

“I’ll let him wear a shirt.” He laughed to himself as he drew on the blueprints with a white coloured pencil. 

Mumbo finished off the plans by writing a name next to the design. 

It read “Griandroid, my best friend” with a small heart drawn next to it.

The roboticist hopped up and started grabbing materials. “Who needs friends when you can just build them! Why didn’t I think of this before? A robot Grian! Oh, I’m a genius!”

He started to build, quicker than before. He couldn’t wait until he was finished. The kids would have their dad back. Mumbo would have his best friend back. Everything was coming together so nicely. 

“And _this_ Grian…” Mumbo cupped the blank face of the base android in his hands. “Won’t turn into a bird. He’ll be happy with himself.”

Mumbo kissed the robot’s metal forehead and continued his work. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Legit, I started crying while I typed this chapter bc I realized how much “She Used To Be Mine” from Waitress fit Grian, and also because Iskall is legit so kind  
> Like-  
> He knew how hard it was for Grian to face him after he failed to save him  
> He knew how hard it was for Grian to admit he failed  
> But he told him he forgave him, and he knew Grian needed it  
> Hjfdhjdskfdhs sweet swedish man


	37. Replacement Parts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're not my dad! Not my dad! boogie woogie woogie!

The roboticist hummed a tune as he finished the programming on his newest creation. As he entered the last line of code, he laughed out loud to himself with joy. He closed up the panels on the android and stood back, studying it. For some reason, the man had the urge to give him some defining feature that would separate him from human Grian.

Mumbo turned around and came over to his chest of miscellaneous parts and accessories. He pulled out a pair of square glasses and returned to the bot. He slipped them onto the robot’s nose with a smile. 

“Perfect.” The hermit said quietly to himself. Mumbo stepped backwards, tripping on a toolbox. He fell back, landing on his side. The man was unfazed as he stood up and dusted himself off.

“Grian! Welcome to Hermitcraft!”

As the roboticist spoke the activation phrase, the robot in front of him booted up. He raised his head and opened his eyes.

“Mumbo!” The android beamed and lunged at his best friend, giving him a tight hug.

Mumbo’s smile grew even wider as he returned the hug. “Grian!” He chuckled happily.

The two hugged for a few minutes before Griandroid let go. 

“You...look ridiculous-” The feathered AI looked Mumbo up and down with a raised eyebrow.

The roboticist rubbed his tired eyes with a laugh. “Yeah, I do.”

Mumbo looked down at his friend and couldn’t help but grin like an idiot. He took the robot’s hand excitedly and began to pull him out of the workshop, like he had done with the others. 

“The family’s out here!” The bearded man told the robot. 

As the two of them exited the workshop, the robotic family in the living room all turned to face them. 

Mumbo hadn’t told them what he was doing, but they all had an idea that it was Grian related. 

Jrumbot spoke up first.

“Daddy!” The little boy jumped from his seat and bolted towards the two men. He leaped towards Grian, who caught him in his arms.

“Jrum!” Griandroid smiled and kissed the baby on the cheek. “I missed you!” 

“I missed you too!” Jrum giggled and then frowned. “Wait a second…You’we not Gwian-”

“Jrum...Grian can’t be here to take care of you, so I made a new Grian. He won’t leave, and he’ll love you so much.” Mumbo explained to the baby, and to the rest of the family. 

Griandroid nodded and looked into Jrum’s eyes. The little boy smiled after a moment. Mumbo had connected Grian to the same network as the rest of the bots. 

Jrum gave his robotic father a big kiss on the cheek and pointed towards the couch. “C’mon!”

Grian obeyed the command and brought Jrum over to the couch where the rest of the family was. 

“Hello Mr. Grian.” Circuit gave him a polite nod. 

“Now, hold on. Is that any way to greet your father?” Grian set Jrum down and gave Circuit a hug and a kiss on the forehead. Circuit couldn’t help but smile. 

“Sorry Dad!” The boy chuckled. Amelia gave Griandroid a hug. She kissed her father on the cheek and smiled. 

“Hello Father!” 

“Why, hello there, Amy!” Grian grinned. 

Grumbot sat at one of the ends of the couch. He was quiet, not saying anything. He barely even glanced up at Grian. 

The robodad stepped up to Grum and set a hand on his shoulder. 

“I missed you, Grum.” 

“...I-...yeah…” The robot boy spoke quietly. He was crying.

Grian kneeled down and gave him a giant hug. “Don’t cry, kiddo.”

Grum gave in and hugged back, sobbing into the sweater that Mumbo had gotten from his base. Grian had left it there some time ago. 

Grace and John sat on the other couch, watching their brother’s robot friend. Grace held Sahara in her lap. The little baby was curled up, not facing Grian.

After Grian let go, he wiped the tears off of the boy's face and smiled. The robot stood up and turned to greet Mumbo’s siblings.

“Hello there! My name is Griandroid! Get it? Like, Grian, but an android?” The robot laughed at his own words. “I’m Mumbo’s best friend.” He extended his hand for them to shake. Grace shook it first and gave him a kind smile. 

“Hey Grian! I’m Grace, Mumbo’s older sister.”

John went next. “Hi! Name’s John. I’m his older brother.”

Grian smiled and looked at Sahara. He knelt down in front of her and gently moved her head so she was looking at him.

“Hello baby.” He spoke soft and lovingly. 

Sahara hid her face again. Grian sighed.

“Sahara...I don’t hate you. I’m sorry for flying off when we first met. I just got...overwhelmed. I promise it wasn’t your fault.” The robot stroked her hair and picked her up from Grace's lap as he stood. She avoided looking at him. 

He gave her a kiss on the head. Sahara glanced at him and paused. She turned towards Grian and gave him a hug. He smiled at the child and hugged her tightly.

He took her over to Mumbo and looked up at him. 

“You go on and build your parents. I’ll watch the kids.” He smiled. Mumbo frowned. 

“But I wanted to spend time with you-”

Griandroid looked down at Sahara, and then at the rest of the robot family.

“Alrighty, how about we help you? I think John and Grace can handle the kids. I mean, they did it while you were building me.” Grian laughed. The roboticist didn’t quite like how he stated that he was aware he was a bot. Mumbo knew that he knew, of course, but it was disorientating to hear him say that Mumbo ‘built’ him. 

John gave a thumbs-up and Grace gave a nod. Amelia frowned.

“Father, shouldn’t you sleep?” She asked from the couch. Mumbo gave her a kind smile before pulling Grian and Sahara into the workshop.

“Alright. Speedrun time.” Mumbo ran to his workbench and picked up his blueprints for his parental droids. 

Grian laughed and sat in Mumbo’s swivel chair with Sahara in his lap. She looked up at him and slightly frowned. 

Sahara knew this wasn’t Grian. She didn’t care if this robot Grian loved her or not. She wanted to know if the real Grian really did hate her. 

Grian glanced down at Sahara when she looked up at him. Her frown turned into a smile, and she rested her head against his chest.

  
  
  
  


Grumbot sat there after Mumbo, Griandroid, and Sahara left. The others were talking, but Grum couldn’t seem to hear them. His thoughts were too loud. 

Grum stood up in the middle of Amelia’s sentence. He wasn’t sure what everyone was talking about.

There must have been something off with the way he was acting, because Grace spoke up. 

“Is everything alright, Grum?” 

This time he heard her. He gave her a quick nod and calmly walked to the lift. Jrum jumped out of his spot and ran after Grum. 

“Wait! I wanna go wif you!” 

Grumbot turned around and chuckled sadly. He picked up his little brother and gave his family a wave as the doors to the lift closed.

“That was...strange…” Circuit looked at his twin. She looked equally worried.

In the lift, Jrumbot climbed his way onto Grum’s shoulders. 

“Whewe awe we going?” He played with Grum’s hair. 

“To find Dad.”

“But...Gwian’s not ouw daddy anymow… Gwiandwoid is.”

“That piece of scrap metal is _not_ our father.”

“...we awe pieces of scwap doe.” Jrum replied.

“I-...I know.” 

The lift doors opened. It was dark outside, which was good for the robots. It would be better if they weren’t spotted.

As Grumbot walked out from behind his TV self, he stared at the server in front of him. A sudden realization set in.

“I don’t know where to go.” 

Other than when the family was searching for Jrumbot, Grum had never been anywhere but the HQ and the Jrumbot shop. When they were searching for Jrum, it had been dark and raining. He had been too focused on finding his little brother to have paid attention to his surroundings. Grum didn’t know where Grian would be.

Grum walked off the platform and into the shopping district. There were a few hermits there, despite it being pretty late at night. 

“We couwd ask someone?” Jrum suggested. Grumbot nodded. 

The closest hermit they were near was an armoured knight with pointy ears and blonde hair. He was muttering back and forth to himself in two similar, but different, voices. 

“He’s cwazy.” Jrum whispered to Grum. The older robot rolled his eyes. 

“Dad does that same thing.” He whispered back. 

Jrum giggled. “Oh wait! Yeah!” 

The little boy’s laugh brought the soldier out of his thoughts. He looked up at the two bots. 

“Hi! Sorry if we...interrupted you! We’re looking for Grian.” Grum told the knight.

“Huh. Last time I saw Grian, he was flying towards Xisuma’s base. That was a couple of days ago, but he seems to hang out there a lot.”

“Great! Thank you!” Grum started to head out, but then he froze. “Aaaactually, I have no clue where that is…”

The knight smiled. “I can take you.” 

“Thank you so much.” Grumbot said with a relieved chuckle. “My name’s Grumbot. This is my little brother Jrum. We’re Mumbo and Grian’s kids.”

The soldier looked confused for a moment before realizing that the children in front of him were actually robots.

“It’s nice to meet you! I’m WelsKnight.” 

Jrum’s eyes grew wide. “WAIT! I KNOW YOU!”

Wels looked up at the baby on the older boy’s shoulders. “You do?”

“Yeah! You wew in dat song! You bwing da fight at fiwst wight!”

Wels laughed out loud. “Oh! The Hermit Gang thing from last season. Oh my gosh, that’s great.” He smiled, but then quickly muttered something to himself.

“Oh, shut up.” He whispered harshly to no one. The kids looked down at him awkwardly as he led them in the direction of XisumaVoid’s base. They stayed silent, not sure what to say.

“Oh! That wasn’t directed at you! I’ve, uh...got...a voice in my head- I KNOW THAT MAKES ME SOUND CRAZY! But, yeah. Nether demon and all that.” Wels chuckled. His eyes flickered like fire.

“Coow!” Jrumbot looked down at the knight with bright eyes. “I got voices in my head too! ‘Cept mine awe just my bwothews and sistews cuz ouw netwowks awe connected ow somethin’.” 

Wels smiled. “You have more siblings?”

“Yeah! I gots Mewia, and Ciwcuit, and Sahawa! Gwum and I awe also connected to ouw Aunt Gwace and Uncwe John!” 

“Wow, you’ve got a lot of robot family.” Wels noted.

Grum nodded. “Yeah…”

As the 3 of them approached Xisuma’s base after walking for a bit, Wels stopped. He pointed at the door. 

“There you go.” He gave them a wave before trying to head off.

“What’s da wush?” Jrum asked.

“Uh…Xisuma’s brother.” Wels chuckled nervously. “He’s also a Nether dude, and my, uh,  _ demon _ thing really likes to try and take over when we’re near him.” He shrugged.

“Well, alrighty then! Thank you!” Grumbot gave Wels a wave.

“Bye-bye Uncwe Wews!” Jrum waved. The soldier grinned at the name and departed.

Grum took a deep breath and stepped towards the door. He hesitated for a moment before knocking. 

Boot-heavy footsteps approached the door from the other side. It opened. Standing there was the bee-suited man that the kids had seen a couple of times before. He wore a helmet with bee antennae and a stinger on the back of it. Through the purple visor, his tired eyes looked at the children.

“‘Ello there.” He said, a smile in his voice. “You’re here for Grian, I presume?”

Grumbot nodded. The man stepped aside. 

“I’m XisumaVoid. I don’t think we’ve properly met.”

“I’m Grumbot.” The humanoid robot smiled and stepped into the house.

“I’m Jwum!” The baby giggled and hopped off of his brother’s shoulders and at the Admin. X’s reflexes were quick, and he caught the little boy in his muscled arms. 

As Grumbot closed the door behind him, Xisuma looked at him and lowered his head. “Could you take my helmet off for me? My arms suddenly became full.”

Grum nodded and took the helmet off of the man and set it on the podium that Xisuma motioned towards. The Admin shook out his hair and looked down at Jrumbot. 

“Let me bring you to your father.” He kissed the baby on the forehead. Jrum rested against the bee man’s armoured chest. He led the two of them into the living room where Iskall and Grian sat in front of the fireplace playing some sort of card game. The Swedish hermit had his arm in a sling, and bandages all over his body. His robotic eye was broken.

As Xisuma re-entered the room, the men looked up. Grian’s face became a flurry of emotions.

Jrumbot’s eyes sparkled when he saw his father. “Daddy!” Jrum wiggled out of X’s arms and hopped onto the couch, bouncing off the soft cushion and jumping into Grian’s arms. He hugged his father tightly around the neck. Grian fell back in surprise. 

“J-Jrum?” Grian looked down at the baby is disbelief. “Is-...Is Mumbo with you?” He asked hopefully. 

Jrum shook his head. “Naw, we snuck out! Wike webews fwom that Staw Waws movie that Uncwe Wen showed us.”

Grum stood behind Xisuma, feeling a strange anxiety in his heart that he had never really felt before. Was he scared to talk to his own father? Was he scared that Grian really didn’t love them? 

Grum shook those thoughts away and stepped out from behind the bee man. 

“Hi Dad.” He waved, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Grian’s eyes went wide as he looked at Grumbot. His pulse quickened as he studied the almost human robot who stood in behind the couch. 

“Grumbot? You...You look-...so much like Mumbo-” Grian’s voice broke, just like his heart. He put a hand over his mouth as he started to cry. Iskall looked at Xisuma and nodded. The Swede stood up with a pained grunt and limped over to the Admin. He gave Grumbot a kind, familial smile before he and the Bee man headed upstairs to give Grian time with his children.

Grumbot came over and took Iskall’s spot. He looked at his father, feeling himself tear up. 

“Dad gave me a new body because my old one...broke.”

Grian nodded as tears ran down his face. “I know.” He clutched Jrumbot tightly.  “You guys...snuck out?” He looked down at his baby. 

“I don't think Papa wants us tawking to you. He doesn’t wike you wight now...I think...I’m not suwe. He buiwt a wobot of you.” Jrum pet the feathers on his father’s chest, speaking in a sleepy voice. 

“He-...replaced me…” Grian's eyes stung with tears.

Grum scooted closer to his dad. “Griandroid isn’t my father. You are. He could never replace you.” He leaned forwards and hugged Grian tightly. 

The bird hugged his boys back.

“Oh my goodness, I missed you two so much.” He sobbed into Grum’s white dress shirt.

“I missed you Dad.” Grum sat back. “I-...This is a weird request, but...could you be big Dad for a moment? I-...I need a hug.”

Grian smiled and willed himself to his hero form. Jrum hopped out of his arms to make way for his older brother. The bird beckoned the humanoid bot. 

Grum came closer to his dad, who scooped him up in his giant arms. He held the boy like a baby and hugged him close. Grum curled up and let out a contented sigh as he felt the protective arms of his father around him. He rested his face against the feathers on Grian’s chest and smiled. He was crying now, but they were tears of joy.

Grian leaned down and gave Grum a kiss on the cheek, faltering when he tasted the salty tears on the boy’s face. 

“You can cry?”

Grum looked up and nodded. “I’m as human as I can get for a robot.” 

The bird chuckled as he noticed the slight cross-eyes of the boy. He knew something was off about him, but he also knew that his eyes weren’t it.

It took a moment, but the thunderbird finally realized what it was. 

“You’re not wearing your sweater.”

“Cuz it was yours…”

Grian thought for a second. “Do you boys wanna go to my mansion for the night?”

Jrumbot nodded happily. Grum thought about Mumbo. His father wouldn’t be coming out of his workshop to talk to him for at least two days. He missed his father. 

Grum nodded as well. Grian smiled and picked Jrum up in his arms too. He carried the two boys in his big, protective arms. He went to the bottom of the staircase and called up.

“Hey! ‘Suma! Iskall! Alex! I’m taking my boys to my mansion for the night. I’ll probably be back tomorrow though.” He laughed. “See ya then!”

“See ya!” Iskall called down. 

“Bye!” Xisuma replied.

“Wait, you have children? That’s kind of wack- OW DON’T PUNCH ME XISUMA!” Alex yelled out. Grian tried not to laugh as he heard the brothers fight.

“Boys! Calm down! Or I’ll...take away your Switch?” Iskall could be heard saying.

“Fine,  _ DAD _ .” Alex huffed sarcastically.

“Well, you’re acting like a child, so maybe Dadskall here has the right idea.” Xisuma shot back.

Iskall laughed heartily. “Dadskall! Oh I love that!” 

Grian snorted as he laughed. “Okay, you three have fun!” 

The bird took his children outside. He could feel it start to sprinkle, so he held the robots close even though they were waterproof. He raised his wings and shot up into the air.

He felt Grum take a sharp inhale and hold onto his arm tighter. Jrum giggled and looked at the ground below.

“You haven’t flown before, have you?” Grian looked down at his son. Grum shook his head. He looked scared.

“Don’t worry. I promise, I will never let you go.”

Grumbot smiled. He trusted his dad.

The bird flew through the sky with the boys until they reached his ginormous mansion. Grum gasped in surprise. 

“Woah…”

“You like it?” Grian looked down at Grum as he landed on the roof. 

“You built this?” He looked at his dad in awe. 

Grian nodded and set the boys down before opening the trapdoor on the roof and climbing down the ladder. He motioned for the boys to follow.

Grian led them towards his bedroom. “I have something for you, Grum.”

The ex-hero went over to his closet and threw open the door with such accidental force that it broke off of its overhead track and fell onto Grian’s bed.

“Whoops.” The bird looked down at his hands with panic before grabbing one of the red jumpers inside the small closet. 

“Here.” Grian handed the sweater to Grum, who took it with joy. “You look more like yourself with it on.”

Grum pulled the sweater on over his head and smiled. Grian chuckled at the gap-toothed grin. 

Jrumbot jumped onto the bed and climbed over the door that lay at an angle on the mattress. He went to the headboard and looked over the side of the bed, pulling something out of a pile of items. It was the picture of Grian and Taurtis.

He looked at Grian and remembered what happened last time he held the picture. He quickly dropped it back in the pile and pulled out a different picture. This one was of Grian and Mumbo.

“Papa’s gone cwazy.” Jrum stated. Grian turned to look at the boy, letting out a sad sigh when he spotted the picture. The bird picked the door up off of the bed with ease and set it up against the wall. He sat down on the edge of the bed. It creaked under his weight. 

“I want to apologize to him so badly, but...I keep getting this feeling that he doesn’t want  _ me _ anymore. He wants Grian back as his friend, but...not me. You know? In his mind, I don’t think he sees me as Grian. I-...I can’t blame him. I can’t see myself as Grian anymore. I’ve changed and I hate it.” 

Grumbot blinked as he realized that he understood his father’s feelings in a way he hadn’t really done before. He came over and sat next to his dad on the bed. 

“I don’t think Dad sees me the same either now. I think every time I do something that reminds him of you, it hurts him...Maybe that’s why he spends so much time locked up in his workshop, making more robots.”

Grian put his face in his hands. “Oh goodness...Has he built more?”

Jrum nodded. “Yeah, he buiwt you, but befowe dat he buiwt his sistew Gwace and his bwothew John. He’s buiwding his mama and papa now.”

Grian stretched out his wings as a bit of electricity built up in them. “Is he...okay?”

Grum shook his head. “I don’t think so. The only time he remembers to take care of himself is if we tell him to. Even then, he will protest before giving in. It...makes me really sad. He-...Dad loves us, right?”

Grian was caught off-guard by his son’s question. “Wha- I-...Well, of course he does.”

“Then why does he keep pushing himself to exhaustion? Doesn’t he know how worried we are for him?” The robot boy was crying, pulling his sweater sleeves over his hands. 

Jrum scooted over to Grian and touched his arm. He was starting to get the feathers that he had lost back. He was running out of time.

The bird flinched when the baby touched his feathered arm. He looked down at Jrum and his expression softened. He picked up the baby boy and gave him a kiss.

“Dad built that replacement of you, and I-...I  _ hate _ him. I’ve never hated anymore before, but I hate that man. He’s not you. I can’t tell Dad that though, because it’ll break him. I can’t do that to him…” Grum wiped his eyes with the sweater sleeves. “I don’t think Sahara likes Griandroid much either. She still believes you hate her…”

Grian looked up the ceiling. “I don’t hate her. I hated Mumbo at that point. But I don’t hate either of them now. I just...hate myself.”

Jrum looked up at his father. “Don’t say dat!” The little boy told the bird. He was still holding the picture of Grian and Mumbo

“Cuz that makes me sad…” Jrum sniffed. He couldn’t cry tears, but he could sure look heart-wrenchingly miserable.

Grian looked down at Jrum. “But you guys make me not hate myself as much.”

Grumbot looked at his own hands. He couldn’t understand the feelings he was experiencing. They just didn’t...make sense. He felt torn between his fathers. He knew Grian needed him, but so did Mumbo.

“Everything alright, kiddo?” The bird put an arm around Grumbot. The boy wiped his eyes again.

“Yeah...I’m just...tired.”

“I feel you. I’m gonna go take a shower. You two can sleep here. I’ll be back soon.” Grian said, standing up. The mattress returned to its normal shape. He took a gray towel off of a hook and stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Grum kicked off his shoes and slipped under the covers. He pulled the comforter up to his face. Jrum came over next to him and poked him on the back.

“Awe you sad?” The baby asked.

Grum didn’t reply.

Jrum tried again. “Gwum, awe you okay?”

Still, the robot didn’t answer. Jrumbot climbed over his brother and looked him in the eyes.

“Why awe you sad?” Jrum tilted his head.

Grumbot flipped over, his back now facing the baby. Jrum frowned. He looked down at the picture in his hands. 

“I’m sowwy.” He sniffled and laid down sadly. Grum could hear his baby brother “crying”. It hurt him. 

The older robot turned back around. “H-hey Jrum, I’m sorry, don’t cry!” He put a hand on the little boy’s face.

“I just wanted to make you happy.” Jrum looked up at Grum. He clutched the photo close. Grum put his arms around his little brother and hugged him close. 

“Thank you.” 

“If you hate Gwiandwoid, then I do too.” Jrum decided.

“Maybe we could convince Dad that him building more robots isn’t a good idea...it probably won’t work, but...we should try?”

Jrum nodded. “Yeah.”

“I love you, Jrum. I...I don’t know if I’ve said that enough...I think I was jealous of you for a bit since you’re tiny and you are more able to spend time with our dads…”

“I wanna be big wike you doh! Being tiny is no fun when you gotsa stay dis way foweva.” Jrum cut in.

“I...I never thought of it that way…” Grum sighed. He still seemed sad.

Jrum looked up at Grum and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I wuv you too, Gwum.”

The robot boy smiled and kissed his brother on the head.

When Grian came back into the room, Grum and Jrum were both asleep. The bird smiled and shrunk himself down. He shook the water off of himself like a dog and fluttered up to his robot boys. He slipped himself in Jrum’s arms after giving them both a tiny kiss on their foreheads. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha this is really funny after my "complete failure" animation I did yesterday  
> also, the song "When She Loved Me" fits Grumbot like,,,,,,really well hsjhdjfkhdsf who knows, I might do an animatic  
> also HAHA DADSKALL  
> it was a complete accident  
> i didn't even realize I had the opportunity to do it until I had the brothers fight.
> 
> after I finish writing FW, I'm gonna write the Dadskall fic


	38. The Smell of Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “When somebody loved me, everything was beautiful.  
> Every hour we spent together  
> Lives within my heart  
> And when she was sad, I was there to dry her tears  
> And when she was happy, so was I  
> When she loved me...
> 
> Through the summer and the fall  
> We had each other, that was all  
> Just she and I together, like it was meant to be  
> And when she was lonely,  
> I was there to comfort her  
> And I knew that she loved me...
> 
> So the years went by, I stayed the same  
> But she began to drift away  
> I was left alone  
> Still I waited for the day   
> When she’d say   
> ‘I will always love you’...
> 
> Lonely and forgotten,  
> Never thought she’d look my way  
> And she smiled at me, and held me,   
> Just like she used to do  
> Like she loved me  
> When she loved me...
> 
> When somebody loved me,  
> Everything was beautiful  
> Every hour we spent together  
> Lives within my heart  
> When she loved me...”

Jrum woke up the next morning. He opened his eyes and looked down at his arms. His father was tiny, and Jrumbot was holding him. He smiled and picked his dad up in his hands. He held the sleeping birdie up in the air and giggled. 

Grian woke up from this. He rubbed his tired eyes and smiled at his baby. “Good morning, Jrum.” He said in a quiet voice.

Jrum brought Grian close to his face. “Good mowning!”

Grum was still asleep next to them. 

“Gwum and I shouwd pwobabwee get back home.” The little bot told the bird. 

“Yeah...I don’t think Mumbo would like you talking to me, based on what I’ve heard.” Grian sighed sadly. Jrum gave Grian a kiss on his tiny head. 

“Don’t wowwy Daddy! Me and Gwum wiww tawk to Papa.”

“Thanks, kiddo.” Grian kissed the bot on the nose and motioned to be set down. Jrum obeyed and put the bird down on his chest. Grian fluttered up into the air and over to Grum.

“Wake up, Grum.” Grian told the older robot softly. Grum opened his eyes.

“I wasn’t asleep.” Grum sat up, cupping the bird in his hands. “Man, I wish I was like you.”

Grian looked down at his chest. There were more feathers. “You...want to be a fluffy bird man?”

“Well, kinda? I wanna be human...I wanna have cool powers like you...I wanna be able to go into the rain without being afraid that I’ll rust, or that my waterproofing won’t work. I wanna eat food. I wanna...I wanna bleed, cuz that means I’m  _ alive _ and not just...powered on…”

“You’ve thought about this a lot, haven’t you, sweetie?” Grian made himself slightly bigger, now the size of a puffle. He had recently learned that he could shift to really any size in between his 3 main forms. He sat in Grum’s soft hands, amazed at how human he felt. But Grian knew that even though Grum  _ felt _ like a human, he didn’t  _ feel _ like a human.

Grum nodded and stood up, Grian still in his hands. 

“Maybe there’s something I can do to help you with that...Well, not  _ me _ specifically, but I have an idea in mind.” 

Grum smiled. “You’re a good dad. One of the best I’ve ever had.”

Grian chuckled. “I’m glad.”

Jrumbot jumped out of the bed and ran over to the other side of it where the pile of items still lay. He was still holding the picture of Grian and Mumbo, but he reached into the pile and pulled out the Mumbo for Mayor shirt. Jrum rubbed his face against the soft fabric. 

“Daddy, can I keep dis?” He held up the picture and the shirt. Grian turned around in Grum’s hands to look down at Jrum. He smiled at his baby boy.

“Of course, cutie.” 

Jrum pulled the shirt on over the shirt he was already wearing. He kissed the glass of the picture frame and hugged it close. 

Grian flew out of Grum’s hands and grew to his hero size. “I’m guessing you boys need a ride back-...back home?”

Grum nodded and glanced out the window. It was quite overcast outside. The rain had once again stopped, but it was obvious that this would only be a brief break in the storm. It seemed to be around 7 AM. 

“That would be great.”

Grian scooped Grum up in his big arms. He knelt down for Jrumbot to jump into them. The baby hopped into his older brother’s arms. Grum held onto Jrum as Grian exited the room and flew downstairs from the bannister to his front door. He opened the door with his free hand and stepped outside. 

Grian breathed in deeply. 

“Smell that? It’s called petrichor. That’s the smell of rain.” Grian looked down at his boys.

“I’ve never smelled something so...fresh. I-...I like it much better than the electric scent of the HQ.” Grumbot was amazed. 

Jrumbot giggled as Grian took them down the huge staircase. “I wike the gween twees.” 

“Me too…” Grum mumbled, taking in the pretty, rain-glistened world around him. The air felt cool and calming against his synthetic skin. He wanted to stay out here forever, though he feared he would rust.

Grian flew up into the sky, catching Grum off guard. The boy yelped and hid his face in fright. 

“It’s alright!” Grian told the robot. Jrum moved Grum’s head so that he’d look out over the server. 

“You wanna see something cool?” The dad asked. Jrum nodded excitedly. Grum nodded, a bit more hesitant than his baby brother. 

“Hold on tight.” Grian winked, giving the boys a second to secure themselves. Grian flapped his wings with immense strength, propelling him up into the sky, into the clouds, and above the storm. Grum had closed his eyes tightly.

“You can look now, kid. You’re safe.” Grian chuckled. He felt different. He felt...heroic, but not in the same way that Poultry Man made him feel. This time, it didn’t feel fake. It didn’t feel like a mask that he was putting on to appease anyone. This time, it felt real. He felt like a hero because he knew that his children trusted and loved him, and he knew that they knew that he would protect them with his life. Maybe he didn’t need to be a superhero. Maybe being a dad would make him a hero enough. 

Grum opened his eyes and gasped in awe. They were above the storm clouds, and everything was calm. The sun sparkled and the skies were blue. It was like they had flown above the problems and they had reached a resting point. He felt calm. He wasn’t afraid. His dad was protecting him. 

Jrum looked over the edge of his father’s arms, holding the picture frame up to block the sun. The frame slipped from his metal fingers and fell. It began to plummet through the clouds. 

“No!” Jrum cried out, reached down to the frame. 

Grian held his babies close and dove down, reaching out his free arm towards the frame. He closed his eyes as the wind tore at him. He felt the metal frame in his hands, and he gripped it tightly. Grian pulled up once he got hold on the picture. The bird opened his eyes and looked at the frame in his hand. The glass and frame were wet with condensation from falling through the clouds. The picture of him and Mumbo made him smile. He handed it back to Jrum after he loosened his steel grip on the boys. Jrum let out a laugh of pure joy and love. Grum looked up at his father and saw him in a heroic light that he always thought of him as in.

Grian’s smile that came after Jrum’s laugh was the greatest thing that Grum had ever seen. He loved his father so much. 

“Hold onto that tightly now.” Grian kissed Jrum on the head as he flew slowly through the sky. Jrum nodded. He would never let go of this picture. It reminded him that his fathers were friends.

Grian took the boys to the platform where TVGrumbot stood, still broken. Grum felt strange looking at his own self, shut off and in dire need of repair. The lights in the Jrumbot shop were off. Everything felt calm.

Grian landed softly on the platform and brought the boys to the lift. 

“This is where I gotta leave you.” He sighed and set Grum and Jrum down. The older boy put his arms around his dad and hugged him tightly. Jrum hugged his leg. 

“I love you Daddy.” Grum sniffed. He was crying. Grian put his arms around Grum and kissed his hair. 

“I love you too, Grum. Thank you for letting me see what a real hero is.”

“How-...How did I do that?”

“You showed me what being a dad means.” The hero ruffled the boy’s hair. Grum let go and stood next to the lift as Grian bent down and hugged Jrum. He gave him a kiss.

“I love you, Jrum.” 

“I wuv you too, Daddy! You’we the coowest biwdie I evew met!” 

Grian gave a soft chuckle as he ruffled Jrum’s hair and stood up. Jrum hugged the picture frame close as he stepped over to Grum.

“Bye kids! I love you...a lot.” Grian waved to them. 

“Bye…” Grum smiled sadly. 

“Bye-bye!” Jrum smiled and pulled Grum into the lift, pushing the button to bring them down.

Grian watched the doors close, standing there for a few seconds afterwards before flying up into the almost-stormy skies. Being a real hero felt better than anything that Poultry Man could offer.

  
  


As the lift lowered the boys down, Grum could sense something was wrong. The doors to the lift slid open, and the boys were greeted by the other robots turning to look at the elevator. Mumbo stood in the kitchen, worry and slight anger on his face. When he saw his boys, his expression became more intense. He rushed over to them as the exited the elevator and stood in front of its now closed doors. Jrum hid slightly behind his older brother. 

Mumbo came over to his sons. He looked a mess, and he had been crying. 

“Where were you?” He spoke, looking into Grumbot’s eyes with an intense stare. 

“We were just up there-”

“Where  _ were _ you?” Mumbo spoke more harshly this time. His eyes were drawn down by the red sweater his son wore. 

“Where did you get this? Were-...You went out to see him, didn’t you?” Mumbo took a step back.

“Well, yeah! You never said we couldn’t!” Grum felt a strange confidence he never really knew about before.

“It was implied.” Mumbo rubbed his eyes, looking annoyed. He knelt down and beckoned for Jrum. 

“Let me see what you have.” 

Jrum shook his head and clutched the picture frame closer. He stood behind Grum’s legs. 

“Jrum, let me-”

“NO! You’we gonna take it fwom me! And- And- And-....And I won’t wet you take it! Daddy towd me to howd onto it tighwy!”

Mumbo’s expression softened. He sighed and stepped closer to Jrum. 

“Jrum, dear, I just….I want to see what it is. I won’t take it from you, I promise.”

Jrum thought for a second, then stiffly turned the frame around. Mumbo fell backwards as he saw what it was. All the anger in his face vanished as sadness took its place.

“I-...I gave you your father back. I thought that would be enough. I-...I’m...I’m a terrible father, aren’t I?” Mumbo sat on the floor, defeated. Griandroid stood near the roboticist. He looked up at Grum, who gave him a quick glance. Along with the glance was a slight head shake. Griandroid turned around and ran into the workshop, slamming the door behind him. He wasn’t wanted here.

Grace watched her brother sob with no one coming to comfort him. She stepped towards her brother and pulled him up into a hug. He pushed away and stared Grum in the eyes again. This time, the intimidation that Mumbo had moments before was gone. 

“I thought you were happy here.” 

“I don’t wanna be locked up! I don’t wanna have my dad be replaced by a fake!”

Grum was talking about Grian being replaced by Griandroid, but Mumbo felt it as though his boy told him that Grian was being replaced by Mumbo...that  _ he _ was the fake.

Mumbo turned to the kitchen counter and walked briskly over to it, picking up a small sledgehammer that was left there from reconstruction of the HQ. He came over to the lift with it. Grum and Jrum jumped out the way. Mumbo swung the hammer forcefully into the lift’s control panel. Sparks shot out and Mumbo flinched from the electricity. 

“Dad!” Amelia jumped up and ran over to her father. Circuit follow close behind. Mumbo kept smashing the hammer into the panel, over and over, crying harder each time until he fell to his knees and cried into his hands.

“Why did you do that?!” Circuit examined the broken panel.

“I don’t want my family to leave again.” Mumbo cried, his tears falling onto his glasses lenses as he looked down at the ground.

Jrumbot ran out from behind Grumbot. “Papa! I’m not gonna weave!” He ran to his father and hugged him tightly. 

Mumbo didn’t hug back. He just sat there limply. 

Grum turned to look at Sahara. She was hiding in John’s arms. She was scared, and Grum could feel it.

The older robot went over to his uncle and sister. He took Sahara from John’s arms. The boy and the man shared a look of deep concern.

Mumbo looked up as Grum moved across the room.

“D-don’t leave me, Grumbot. I need y-you…”

“Dad needs me too.”

Mumbo gave in and hugged Jrum as he stood up. He looked over at Amelia and Circuit, and then at Grace. All gave him the same look of disappointment. Perhaps it was his own imagination making him see what he expected to see. But his heart broke, because Grum had given him that same look in the dream he had had. He let Grumbot down. He wasn’t a hero or a father. He was just broken.

“I…I need to go finish my work.” Mumbo gave Jrum to Grace and walked towards his workshop. 

As the door to the room closed softly with a click, Grum broke down. Sahara shook her head and tried to wipe Grum’s tears with her hands. John stood up and hurried to his niece and nephew, as well as Grace, Jrum, Amelia, and Circuit. They enclosed Grum in a group hug. They let him cry for as long as he needed.

  
  


As Mumbo closed the door, he stepped into the room and fell against his chair. He stared blankly at the wall. Griandroid came over to him from the unfinished robot. 

“Hey...I-...I’m sorry.” He put a hand on Mumbo’s arm.

“You didn’t do anything.”

“I made it worse. The kids hate me. I know they do, I can feel it.”

“I built you, it’s my fault.”

“...”

Mumbo looked up at his robot friend. 

“I miss my family.” He said in a way that was reflective of Jrumbot.

“Well, we should finish building your mum. That’ll get your mind off of things.” 

Mumbo nodded and wiped his eyes. 

“You’re right, G.” He stood up and pulled his friend into a hug. The robot bird hugged back, wrapped his wings around the two of them. When they let go, Mumbo gave him a weak smile.

“I’ll be better this time, I promise.”

Mumbo and Grian continued work on the next robot. Mumbo wondered how much easier life would be if he couldn’t cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh FW comments make me sad when every yells about hating Mumbo
> 
> Short chapter this time bc a lot of emotion happened and I don’t think it could get worse than this in this chapter


	39. Parental Controls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “ He walked for miles and miles but never left his room  
> Dramas unfolding in his head  
> Life threatening adventures from the comfort of the couch
> 
> A blazing fanfare that would never leave his lips  
> Nor even see the light of day  
> Earth shattering disasters from the safety of his settee
> 
> Oh oh! Oh oh! Wearing down the carpet  
> Oh oh! Oh oh! Content to end up where he started  
> Wearing down the carpet
> 
> They came from far and wide, just teacups in a storm  
> The universe like putty in his hands  
> All hail the conjurer who never left his room  
> Who never left his room
> 
> Oh oh! Oh oh! Wearing down the carpet  
> Oh oh! Oh oh! Content to end up where he started  
> Wearing down the carpet
> 
> He discovered worlds but never covered any ground  
> So many friends for someone so alone  
> Just a worn down carpet is all he has to show  
> Is all he has to show
> 
> Oh oh! Oh oh! Wearing down the carpet  
> Oh oh! Oh oh! Wearing down the carpet  
> Oh oh! Oh oh! Content to end up where he started
> 
> Wearing down the carpet...”

“And it’s all finished.” Mumbo tiredly dropped his wrench. It landed with a  _ clang _ on the floor, and the roboticist fell back onto his rolly chair. 

Griandroid picked up the wrench and set it in the toolbox next to the robot they had finished.

Delilah Jumbo, Mumbo’s mother, was shorter than both of the men at 5’4. She wore oval-shaped glasses and had soft black hair that fell to her shoulders. She had a sprinkle of light freckles across the bridge of her nose. She looked like she was asleep.

“G, could you activate her?” Mumbo asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Of course.” Grian went behind Mrs. Jumbo and opened up a panel on the back of her neck. He flipped a switch and closed it tightly. The robot bird stepped out from behind the woman and stood next to Mumbo in his chair. 

Her eyes opened and she looked around, her eyes landing on the mess that was her son sitting tiredly in an office chair in front of her. She hurried to him.

“Mumbo! Are you alright? You look terrible!” She started to mess with his hair. Mumbo chuckled and gave her a smile. He leaned forwards in his chair and hugged his mother tightly. She smiled and returned the hug.

Griandroid stood next to the two of them, smiling at the reunion. The mother and son hugged for a good few minutes before Mumbo let go.

“Hi Mum.” Mumbo laughed and wiped his teary eyes. “I missed you.”

Mrs. Jumbo took her son’s hands in her own. “I missed you too, honey. What happened to you?”

“I, uh...I’m not sure anymore.” 

“You look tired, sweetie. Have you been sleeping?”

“Ye-....er...no? Kind of?” 

His mother frowned. “Mumbo, you need to take care of yourself.” Her attention was caught by Griandroid, who hadn’t said a word yet.

“Oh, why hello there! Mumbo, who’s this?”

Mumbo half-smiled and motioned towards his robotic friend. “Mum, this is Griandroid. Griandroid, this is my mum.” 

G outstretched his hand for her to shake, which she did. 

“It’s so nice to meet you! I’m so glad that my little bunbun found friends here!”

Grian chuckled. “Little bunbun?” He looked at Mumbo, who’s face turned red.

“Although, he isn’t so little anymore.” Mrs. Jumbo laughed. “Goodness, how old are you, honey bunches?”

“Twenty-four, Mum.” The roboticist stood up. He towered over his short mother, but not as much as his siblings would. 

“Oh my stars, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” She noted.

Mumbo nodded. “It...It has...Grace and John are here too, as well as my kids.” 

Mrs. Jumbo’s eyes lit up. “You have children?” She looked very happy, and very proud.

“Well, they’re robots, so I’m not sure if it counts.” He looked almost apologetic.

“Pshh, that doesn’t matter to me! If you love them like a father, then they’re your kids!” His mother gave him a kind and loving smile.

“Thanks Mum.” Mumbo smiled in return. “They’re out here...Be warned, we kind of...had a dispute a few days ago, and I haven’t talked to them since it happened…”

Mrs. Jumbo frowned again. “Hm...I’ll make sure things are right.” She started to exit the room. Mumbo followed a few steps behind. As his mother exited the workshop to greet her family, Mumbo peeked his face out of the room to watch. Grace and John greeted their mother happily, introducing her to her grandchildren. Sahara took a liking to her, and so did Amelia and Circuit. It only made sense, since the twins were built to be Mumbo, that they would find comfort in Delilah Jumbo. Grum and Jrum seemed happy to meet her too, but as Grum looked up, he and his father made eye contact. The roboticist quickly pulled his head back into the workshop, feeling a wave of panic rush over him. He quickly stepped over to his workbench and grabbed the plans for his father, hoping to get his project done with soon. 

The door to the workshop creaked open. Griandroid and Grum looked at each other. Grian looked ashamed and sad as he slowly went to the backroom. Grum felt something tug at his heart. The robot wasn’t his father, but he looked exactly like him, and it hurt to see him hurt. 

Mumbo tried to avoid looking at Grum. He was scared of what his son would say. Scared of what he might do.

“Dad…” Grumbot stepped towards his father and stood patiently.

The roboticist gave in and turned to look at Grum. He was still wearing Grian’s sweater. 

“Hello Grum.”

The robot hesitantly took another step towards Mumbo before putting his arms around him. 

Mumbo was caught off guard by the affection. He was certain that Grum was disappointed in him. He could feel his eyes burn with tears and fatigue. The father’s legs gave out and he fell to the floor.

Grum held on as his father crashed to the ground. “I’m sorry for sneaking out.” He cried softly into the dirty lab coat that Mumbo was wearing.

“I-...I’m sorry for keeping you trapped. I’m not sure what came over me...I didn’t mean to do what I did, but I did it...and I’m so incredibly sorry for everything I’ve ever done.” Mumbo finally returned the hug, burying his face in his friend’s red sweater. It still smelled like him. It made the roboticist cry even more.

“Why did you build a replacement for Dad?”

“Because he hates me.”

“No he doesn’t...Dad, he loves you. Jrum and I talked to him, and he-...he’s not mad.”

“...Because I hate me.”

Grum pulled away from the hug. “You built a replacement for Dad because you...you hate yourself?”

“I don’t want Grian seeing me like this. I’m awful, I’m rubbish, and I’m a terrible father. I bet you’d rather live with Grian than with me, and I completely understand.”

“N-no, Dad! I’m not going to leave! You need help, and we’re the only people who can give it to you right now until we fix the lift.”

Mumbo looked at his son. He reminded him of the goodness of people, even if he was only a robot.

“I can’t stop building.” The roboticist looked down at his bandaged hands and started to laugh. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve lost self-control, and I just want to keep making robots. Making more people. Making more friends. More family. And I know it’s wrong, to replace living people with robots, but...I’m scared of those people now. I’m scared of what they’ll think once they see what I’ve done.”

“Dad, they’re not going to judge you. They’re going to help you become better. I promise.”

“I...I want so desperately to believe you, kiddo, I really do, but...I just can’t.” Mumbo wiped his tear-stained face. 

“Do you want me to help you build your dad at least? You look exhausted.”

Mumbo nodded and let out a tired sigh. 

“I can start the base of the android for you while you sleep on the couch.” Grumbot motioned towards the seldom used couch that sat in the corner of the room. 

Mumbo smiled and stood up, stumbling over to the sofa and collapsing onto it. It wasn’t long before he was asleep. 

Grumbot wiped his own teary face and began to construct the base of the android. This one was taller than he was, so he had to stand on the rolley chair once he started working on the upper body. 

At one point, the chair slipped from under him, but he didn’t fall. He was caught by someone. Grum looked to see who it was.

Griandroid held onto the boy safely, letting him back down once he was sure he was okay.

“I-...Da-...er, Griandroid...Thank you.” Grum gave him a polite smile and a nod. Griandroid smiled sadly in return.

“I’m sorry for being a replacement...I didn’t know how much my existence would hurt you, I-...I never intended for you to hate me…”

“Oh, it’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known. Besides, it’s not like you could have stopped Dad from building you.” Grum avoided looking at Griandroid.

“I want to be a father to you, Grum...if you’ll let me. I don’t intend to be a replacement...but, I was built to be Grian, and, well, Grian loved you as your father. I do too, and I-”

Griandroid was cut off by Grum hugging him tightly. 

“Then I’ll love you like your son, Dadroid.” 

Griandroid gave out a lovely laugh as he hugged Grum back. “I love you, too, Grum!”

The two hugged for a good moment. Grian let go first.

“Do you want some help?” He motioned towards the base of Mr. Jumbo that Grumbot was building. The boy nodded with a smile.

“Now I have three dads.” He chuckled and handed Grian a wrench.

* * *

  
  


By the time Mumbo woke up, the robot of his father was almost finished. He sat up on the couch and rubbed his eyes. He rubbed the beard he had grown and just felt confused about everything. He stood up and sleepily stepped over to the robot. He heard laughter from the living room. He turned around and walked over to the door of the workshop. 

He poked his head out and saw Griandroid sitting with the children. They were all laughing and having a good time as they played Super Smash Bros on the Switch. 

“I must still be dreaming…” He mumbled to himself. The kids wouldn’t be getting along with the replacement Grian.

Mumbo pulled back into the workshop and went back over to the robot of his father. He was still half-asleep, so he tripped over the toolbox on the way there. He crashed onto the floor, making quite a noisy scene.

A few moments later, Grumbot and Griandroid ran in. 

“Dad are you okay?!” Grum rushed to his side. 

Mumbo sat up in pain. “Y-yeah, I’m just-...Oh goodness I made a mess.” He laughed to himself as he saw the tools scattered across the floor. Griandroid offered Mumbo his hand. The roboticist took it, allowing the robot to pull him up. 

“Did I miss something? You guys were all getting along out there-” Mumbo rubbed his head where it had hit the ground.

“Dadroid agreed not to be a replacement, but a third dad for us!” Grum grinned, obviously relieved that he wouldn’t have to let go of his original father.

“Dad-...Dadroid?” Mumbo readjusted his glasses, still waking up.

“You built me to love them...They hated me when I was here as a replacement. They...they’re fine with me now that I’m not Grian.” Griandroid smiled happily. 

Mumbo sighed. “That’s good...G, love, could you help me finish building my father?” 

Griandroid nodded. Grum stood patiently for his father to stop talking. 

“C-can I help you too?” 

Mumbo nodded. “Of course, kiddo.” He ruffled his son’s hair before Grum bent down to clean up the scatter of tools.

“You built some good kids, bro.” Griandroid chuckled and continued work on the wiring.

“Thanks.” The roboticist felt proud of his creations again. 

  
  
  


Mumbo, Griandroid, and Grum finished up Mr. Jumbo. The robot bird fluttered up in the air and activated the robot.

He flew back next to Mumbo, who looked worried. 

“Everything okay, Mumby?” Griandroid glanced at his friend. 

“Yeah, I’m just...I haven’t seen my father in seven years…”

“You’ll do fine.”

“I hope so.”

Justin Jumbo was the second tallest in the family. He stood at 6’9, and he had a mustache like Mumbo’s. But where Mumbo had a Luigi-type mustache, Mr. Jumbo had a Mario-type stache. He had dark brown hair and he wore a polo shirt. He had broad shoulders and big hands, and could probably bench press Big Grian.

His eyes opened. Mumbo’s shoulders tensed up.

He looked around and spotted his son in front of him.

“Mumbo?” The tall man stepped forwards. 

“H-hi Papa.” Mumbo looked up at his father. 

Mr. Jumbo grinned and picked up his son, hugging him tightly. 

“Oh! My boy! How are you?”

“I’m-...I’m good!” Mumbo gasped for air. Mr. Jumbo laughed and set him down. 

“You look like a man!” 

“A homeless man, sure.” Mumbo chuckled.

“Aye, if you clean your beard up and trim your hair, you could definitely pull it off.” Mumbo’s father smiled and ruffled his son’s messy hair.

“Hey, Papa...this is my friend, Griandroid!” Mumbo had taken on a childish demeanor while talking to his dad. 

Griandroid stuck out his hand for Mr. Jumbo to shake, but the tall man gave the robot bird a hug as well. 

“Nice to meet-...you!” Griandroid said, unable to talk correctly. Mr. Jumbo set him down. 

“It’s nice to meet you too, son!”

Griandroid’s eyes went wide with happiness. 

“Papa! Papa! This is  _ my _ son! Grumbot!” Mumbo pulled his boy in front of him.

Mr. Jumbo's face filled with pride as he looked at his grandson. Grumbot grinned and gave him a hug before he could react. Mumbo’s father looked down at Grum, and then up at Mumbo. 

“You’re a dad now?” Mr. Jumbo sounded proud.

Mumbo couldn’t help but smile as he nodded. His father gave Grum a hug, but not as tightly as he had hugged the two men.

“And before you ask, no Papa, I’m not married, and all my kids are robots that I built.”

Mr. Jumbo’s expression of pride didn’t lessen. “I’m still happy for you, son!” He squeezed Mumbo’s shoulder.

“Mama’s out there.” Mumbo pointed through the workshop’s door. “So are Gracie, and Johnny, and the rest of my kids.”

Mr. Jumbo grinned and started to exit the workshop. This time, Mumbo, Grumbot, and Griandroid all followed.

As Mr. Jumbo came into the room, Mrs. Jumbo jumped up happily and ran to her husband. He stood a good 17 inches taller than her, and so he picked her up to kiss her. 

“Aw, that’s really sweet.” Griandroid gushed. Mumbo smiled sweetly. Grace and John jumped up to hug their dad. Mumbo chuckled at Grace being taller than their father. 

Mr. Jumbo greeted his children and grandchildren, giving all of them hugs and kisses on their heads. Jrum and Sahara liked their grandfather a lot. The twins did as well.

Grum looked at Mumbo. He took his father’s hand. “Dad, you still look tired. Do you wanna go sleep?”

Mumbo shook his head. “N-no.”

Griandroid sighed and took Mumbo’s other hand. “Bro, you need to get some rest. Take a shower and go to bed, it’ll be alright.”

Mumbo looked down at his hands.

“Fine. I’ll go...go do that.” The roboticist went and retrieved a towel before heading into the bathroom. He once again looked at himself in the mirror.

He had a full beard now, and his hair was longish and unruly. It fell over his left eye and was a mess. He didn’t recognize himself.

Mumbo took a shower, still refusing to shave his face. 

As he dried himself off, he couldn’t help but laugh. His mustache was still prominent, even with his beard. 

He put on a fresh set of clothes and slipped his foggy glasses back onto his face. His hair dried into a fluffy poof as he rubbed it with his towel. When he exited the bathroom, the family was playing a game in the living room. They were laughing and having fun.

Griandroid was holding Sahara, and she was smiling at him. Mumbo’s heart was filled with joy at the sight.

His family was going to be okay after all.

As Mumbo lay in bed in one of the extra rooms, he began to think. Had he really built all of his family? Sure, he built his immediate family, but…

The hermits were his family too, right?

He missed his friends.

He missed Iskall, and Scar and Bdubs. He missed Xisuma. He missed everybody.

With a chuckle, he said outloud to no one, “I can just build the rest of them.”

He was going to be trapped down here anyways. Might as well keep himself busy.

He tossed and turned as he tried to go to sleep. Why was it so hard now? He was exhausted mere moments ago.

He shot up out of bed and flicked on the light, grabbing some blank blueprints and white coloured pencils from his inventory and pulling out a crafting bench. He used it as a desk and started to design hermits.

One after the other.

For hours on end.

Until it was morning, and he had finished plans for the other twenty-two hermits on the server.

With his family helping, they would all be done in no time.

He’d have a complete family.

He would need to expand the HQ again, of course, but that was no problem.

He had shulkers upon shulkers of materials.

Mumbo Jumbo was sure he was going insane, but that was fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justin Jumbo is sans confirmed   
> Don’t ask me why, just go with it
> 
> Grum’s too much of a sweetie to hate anyone for too long


	40. Friendship is Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A cat, a bird, and a mayoral candidate talk about a robot boy for 5 hours.

When Grum knocked on his father’s bedroom door the next morning, he got a tired “Come in” from the other side. He turned the knob and pushed open the door to find his father in the middle of the room surrounded by laid out blue prints with designs drawn on them in white coloured pencil. He was leaned over a crafting table, scribbling on another blueprint. He didn’t look up when his son entered. 

“Hey Dad...did you sleep?” Grum approached cautiously.

Mumbo glanced up. He had bags under his eyes and he didn’t look alright. 

“Of course not.” The roboticist replied. “How could I sleep when I’ve got twenty-two robots to plan.”

Grum stepped back. “Twenty-two? Dad, are you insane?”

“I think so, yes.” Mumbo chuckled and sat back, holding up the plans in front of his face. Grum rushed forwards and picked up some of the plans from the floor, inspecting them. 

“Iskall, Xisuma, Cleo, Cub…” He scanned the prints with his eyes, worry growing inside of his chest. “Dad! You can’t do this!” 

Mumbo put down the blueprint he was holding. “Do what?”

“Build real people as robots! That’s not okay!” Grum started collecting the rest of the plans. 

Mumbo felt his heart rate quicken. He grabbed Grum’s wrist as he leaned down to take the plans. 

“D-don’t….please…” 

Grum froze as his father stared at him. There was something in the man’s eyes that the robot couldn’t quite place. He looked broken, lost, and empty. They were emotions that Grum had only begun to understand. 

As the robot dropped the plans in his arms, Mumbo let go of the boy’s wrist. He quickly gathered up all twenty-two of his plans and stood up. He walked past Grum and out of the room, leaving his son alone, confused and worried. 

Mumbo went into the living room where his robotic family was interacting with each other. 

“Could I have your attention please?” He called over the room. The robots looked up. 

Grumbot exited the bedroom and slipped past Mumbo to join his robotic family for the engineer’s announcement. 

“I am holding plans for twenty-two new robots! I know that I can’t handle a task like this on my own. So I am asking you all to help me! With your assistance, I know we can get this done quickly.”

Grum looked at his siblings. They had similar looks of worry in their eyes, but he knew they would all help their father. He knew he would as well. It was what they were programmed to do.

“So come up here and I’ll give you your plans! There’s eleven of us, so we’ll each build two.” 

Mumbo set aside the plans for Iskall and Xisuma in his inventory and got the rest of the plans ready.

“Uh, Dad?” Grum hurried to his father first. “Are you really going to make Jrum and Sahara each build two robots all by themselves?” 

Mumbo thought for a moment. “Hm. Good point. You can help Jrum and the twins can help Sahara.” The roboticist handed the plans for Scar (and Jellie) and Bdubs to his son.

The other members of the family lined up. In their connected server, they communicated nonverbally to one another, all expressing their worry for their dear Mumbo. 

Jrum got the plans for Doc and Ren. Amelia got Wels and Stress. Circuit received the plans for Joe and Cleo. Sahara got the plans for Tango and Impulse. Grace got Jevin and False. John took Zedaph and Hypno. Mrs. Jumbo got the plans for TFC and Keralis. Mr. Jumbo got Cub and Beef. Griandroid stepped up last. 

“Here you go, G. Etho and xB.” Mumbo smiled and handed the plans to his robotic friend. Griandroid took them with little hesitation, but took a second to think after he scanned in the information to his hard drive. 

“Is...Is this really a good idea?” Grian studied his friend’s hollow smile. 

“Well, it’s an idea by me, so yes. Yes it is.”

Griandroid knew he couldn’t argue. Nothing he could say would make this man change his mind. With a soft sigh, he gave Mumbo a slight nod and stepped past him into the workshop to gather his required materials. 

Mumbo stood alone in the empty living room. He looked down at his bandaged hands and laughed quietly.

“W-what am I doing? Why am I doing this?” He turned around to see his robotic father standing near him. He seemed to be waiting for his son.

“Mumbo-” The tall android approached the human man. “Are you alright?”

The roboticist started to break down. He shook his head as he felt his eyes well up with tears. Mr. Jumbo gave his son a hug, trying to comfort him best he could. 

“Papa.” Mumbo pulled away from the hug and wiped his eyes with his lab coat sleeve. He looked up at his father. “Are...Are you proud of me?”

Justin Jumbo's expression filled with surprise. “Of course I’m proud of you, Mumbo! I’m always proud of you!”

“Even though I left you guys at seventeen, didn’t go to Uni, didn’t visit…”

“Mumbo…” Mr. Jumbo set his hand on his son’s shoulder. The young man looked up at his father. “I will always be proud of you. You don’t need to prove yourself to me.”

Mumbo smiled and wiped his eyes again. “Thanks Papa.”

He studied his father’s face for a moment before nodding and stepping towards the workshop to get his own materials.

* * *

  
  


When Grian dropped Grum and Jrum off at the HQ, he felt a reluctance in his heart as he flew away. He didn’t want to leave them, but he had to. 

As he soared through the early morning sky, he started going over his ideas in his head. He told Grum that he had an idea for how to help him be less robotic, but he honestly wasn’t sure if it would work or not. He didn’t really know how transmutation worked. 

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he spotted Scar and Bdubs hanging up the last of their election posters in the shopping district. The election was in a few days.

Time had flown faster than Grian could keep up with. He swooped down to make a landing in front of his friends. 

“Hey Scar, hey Bdubs.” He gave them a slight wave. Scar looked up at the bird as he landed. 

“Everything alright?”

“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine, I just-...I’ve got a bit on my mind.”

“Do you need someone to talk to?” Scar handed his manager the last poster to hang up. 

Grian sighed. “I want to do something for Grum before I run out of time, but I’m not even sure if it’ll work.”

Bdubs put up an item frame and set the poster inside. “Maybe we could help?”

“Actually, it’s dependent on your guys’ help.” The hero mentioned. 

Scar gave Bdubs a quick glance before speaking up. “What kind of help?”

“Magic help?” Grian said hesitantly. 

Bdubs shook his head. “That’s this man’s area of expertise. I’m no help here.” He chuckled. 

Scar thought for a moment. “Bdubs, you can have the day off.”

“Day off?” The Boomer started to laugh. “I thought I was  _ your _ manager. But sure! Sweet! Vacation day.” He grinned and gave the two of them a wave before heading off.

Scar nodded and started to head in the direction of the village he built. “Follow me.”

As the two walked together, Scar began to ask questions. “So, what do you want to do for Grum?”

Grian stared straight forwards as they traveled. “I want to find some way to let him be human or something like that.”

Scar was silent as he thought about the possibilities. “I’m sure you know that I can’t help you in that specific area of the arcana.”

Grian nodded. 

“But I think Aleighnya could help. Best transmutationist I know.” Scar smiled. “Plus, she’s wanted to meet you since I asked for her help for your dilemma a bit ago.”

The bird and the wizard walked through the jungle. Grian wasn’t wearing shoes, but the lush jungle floor didn’t hurt. He could hear the passing conversations of the birds in the trees, the birds in the air, the birds watching the two men.

He felt like they were judging him. He tried to focus on his friend instead. 

“So, how long have you and Aleighnya known each other?” Grian tried to make conversation to get the birds off his mind. 

“I met her a long time ago when I first joined the Scarlet Cloaks. We’ve been through a lot since then. She’s kinda like a sister to me.” Scar reminisced. “She’s the one who gave me Jellie and showed me how to bond to her as my familiar. You’ll like her. She’s a tabaxi-tiefling.” He gave his birdie buddy a reassuring smile. 

Grian smiled as well. “She sounds delightful.”

Scar nodded as they reached his village. It felt full of energy and life, which seemed strange to Grian since he thought only Scar lived here. 

“Don’t tell Xisuma, but I’ve sort of made this place a rest spot for wizards and the like.” Scar winked. 

Grian was surprised. He didn’t know Scar would be the type of person to hide something from the Admin. 

“Aye, who am I kidding? He definitely already knows.” Scar chuckled. 

As the two of them went through the small village, Grian saw a number of people dressed in fantasy outfits, although he assumed that to them, it wasn’t fantasy. A female elf and a human man waved to Scar as he led Grian to the main hall of the village. The woman wore a red bomber-style jacket with a circle insignia on it. The man wore a red robe with the same symbol. Scar waved back with a grin. 

“We’ll have to take a portal to visit Leigh.” The wizard held open the door to the hall to let Grian in. The bird entered and took notice of the abundance of plants inside. None of them seemed native to the server, and most of them Grian didn’t recognize. 

“Wow, this is….really pretty.” Grian examined a glowing blue flower next to him. 

“Wow, this is...really pretty.” The flower spoke back. Grian flinched and looked to Scar for an explanation.

“Haha, that’s an Echo Flower. They repeat the last thing they heard to whoever walks by.” 

Grian nodded. “Huh. Cool.”

Scar motioned towards a door in the corner of the hall. It looked like a supply closet, but when Scar took out an enchantment book and held it against the wood, the door’s edges glowed with an ethereal light. When the light dimmed, Scar put the book back in his inventory and opened the door up to an impossibly large common area filled with portals of all shapes, colours, and sizes. Dozens of people went from one portal to another, some stopping to talk with other wizards and magical beings in the middle of the room. The biggest portals seemed to be the busiest and were similar to the structure of a Nether portal. Most of the small portals were just like the one that Grian and Scar stepped through to enter the area, which is to say, doors. Countless doors lined the walls of the circular room, each a different style and design. It was like the middle of a bustling train station inside the room. The ceiling was immeasurably tall with even more doors lining the walls up. The room felt familiar in a good way, even though Grian knew that he had never been here before. The air felt magical and the atmosphere was friendly. Every person that Grian made eye contact with gave him a kind smile. It didn’t feel like they were judging him. He felt welcome here. He was just as strange as everybody else at this crossroads and it was reassuring.

“Welcome to the Realm hub.” Scar said to Grian as he took his hand so that they wouldn’t get separated in the crowds. 

Grian was awestruck by everything. He made accidental eye contact with someone who seemed to be an enderman wearing a wizardly getup. Instead of turning hostile like the enderman back on the server, the void creature gave him a pleasant nod and continued walking. 

“This is amazing.” Grian quickened his pace to walk closer to his friend. 

“Isn’t it though?” Scar seemed at home. “C’mon, through here!” The wizard pulled the bird towards a purple wooden door with a gold trim. He turned the knob and pulled open the door, bringing Grian through quickly. The door closed behind the hero. He looked around the new place he was in. It was a warm, magical cottage with arcanic artifacts adorning the walls and shelves. Bookshelves were abundant, stuffed full with old and new books. Some seemed magical while others were just normal books. Crystals of all sizes hung from the roof, tinkling against each other like wind chimes. The home was small but cozy, with a comforting clutteredness about it. Scar stepped into the middle of the room.

“Anyone home?” He leaned against a cauldron as he let go of Grian’s hand. After a moment, someone stepped out from behind a large stack of thick worn journals. 

Grian wasn’t sure what he was expecting Aleighnya to look like, but it was nothing like what she really did. The lady who greeted them was an almost six foot tall cat lady who looked to be part tiefling.

“Scar! ‘Ello! I wasn’t expecting ya today!” 

“Hey Aleighnya! Grian needs some magical assistance that I can’t provide, so I thought we should come and visit you.” Scar greeted his friend with a smile and a hug. After they let go, Aleighnya stepped towards Grian. 

“Oi, that’s a nasty scar ya got there. That Thunderbird got ya good, didn’t it?” The Scottish lady examined the long gash down the bird’s right arm. He nodded in reply. 

“Hm, that’s no way to introduce myself. Let me try again.” She stepped back and extended her arm. “My name is Aleighnya Mévouimières!”

“Hello.” Grian shook her paw. “I’m Grian.”

“Just Grian? No last name?” Aleighnya cocked her head to the side playfully. The star on the end of her wide-brimmed wizard hat twinkled as it swayed. 

“Grian, uh, Dreamslayer.” He kind of chuckled. Scar gave him a look.

“Is that your real last name?” His wizard friend asked. Grian answered Scar with a nod.

“Alrighty Mister Dreamslayer, how can I help ya?” Aleighnya’s tiefling tail swished slowly from side to side.

“Is...Is it possible to turn something nonorganic, like a robot, into something organic, like...well, a human?” Grian felt awkward asking.

The cat smiled. “I haven’t done that type of transmutation in a bit, but I’m sure that I can do something. Let me get you some tea before I search for the correct spell books.” She led the two men through a wooden door into an equally magical kitchen. She motioned towards the table. Grian and Scar took a seat. 

As the wizard lady got a kettle heating on the stove, she made some conversation. 

“How’s Jellie doing, Nascarlos?” She glanced over at the suited hermit. Grian looked at him with a confused expression. He brushed him away before answering his friend. 

“She’s doing good! Although, she does miss the attention from Jrum.” 

“Aye, I see. Speakin’ of Jrum, how’s the whole situation with Mumbo going, Dream?” 

Grian looked up. “Y-you talking to me?” 

“Yes, Dreamslayer.” She said with a mischievous glint in her eye. 

“I-...I don’t know. I’m giving him time, but goodness I miss my friend. And my kids.” 

The woman nodded understandingly as the kettle whistled. She poured the two hermits each a cup and set them down in front of them. 

“I’m sure it’ll turn out fine. Things might get worse before they get better though.” 

“I know…” The bird sighed. 

The cat nodded and headed back into the original room. Scar and Grian sat in silence for a few minutes.

“Nascarlos?” Grian looked up from his cup at the wizard. Scar smiled and rolled his eyes. 

“It’s my full name. You see why I go by Scar, huh.”

Grian chuckled. “Yeah”

“What about you, Dreamslayer? How come you’ve never told anybody that?”

Grian shrugged. “I don’t know…”

“It’s cool.” Scar smiled. 

“Thanks.” The bird downed the last of his tea. 

A couple of minutes later, Aleighnya came back in holding a stack of books. She set them down on the table and sat down next to Scar, picking up the top book. She flipped to a certain page and looked up at Grian.

“So...you want your kiddos to be human?”

Grian faltered. “Well, er, Grum wants to be, and I know Jrum did too. I’m not sure about the twins or Sahara…”

The cat nodded. “Alright. I have a spell here that will be able to turn him human for an hour, which I can then cross that spell with one that will make it permanent.”

Grian felt hopeful. He was going to be able to give Grum what he promised. 

“This spell requires quite a bit of preparation…” The wizard woman opened up another spell book. “I’ll need some DNA from his parents. So that’d be you and Mumbo. Anything works...hair, feathers, blood, et cetera.” She looked up at the bird. “This way, he’ll be your kid.” She smiled.

The bird couldn’t help but smile as well, but his smile faded into a frown. 

“How am I supposed to get that from Mumbo? He’s shut himself in.” Grian looked at Scar. 

“Perhaps there in the Jrum shop?” Scar shrugged. 

Grian nodded. “Hmm...perhaps.”

“Does the spell need any other preparatory ingredients?” Scar turned to his furry friend.

“Aye, but don’t worry about those. I have all I need….Actually, would you be a dearie and lend me some of your crystals? The ones I have won’t work for this type of spell.” 

Scar gave her a thumbs-up and flicked his wrist around, a green crystal now floating above the palm of his hand. “How many do you need?”

“Three or four. Well, make it five. You know how clumsy I can be.” She snickered.

Scar chuckled and conjured four other crystals. The cat collected them in her paws and set them under her hat. Grian noticed that the horns coming from her hat weren’t decoration on the clothes and were in fact her horns. He watched the two old friends interact and it warmed his heart. That’s how friendship should be.

He tugged at his pant leg, hearing a slight rip of the fabric around his knee. He felt more feathers brush against his hand. He sighed and touched the feathers on his face. 

“Is something amiss, Mr. Dream?” Aleighnya gave the bird a worried look.

“I-...er, no. Everything’s fine.”

“Are ya feathers botherin ya again?”

Grian hesitated, but then nodded. 

“Aye, I wish I could do something for ya, but unfortunately the potion I made only affects ya once. I...I wish I could stop your transformation altogether, but...alas, i can’t do much about it for ya laddie.”

“It’s alright Aleighnya. You’ve...you’ve already done so much for me.” The bird smiled thankfully.

The three of them continued to discuss the spell and other various aspects of what it will do for a few more hours.

By the time it was four PM, Grian felt exhausted. They hadn’t even really done anything that day, but he was on the verge of passing out. Scar could see it in his face.

“Aleighnya, we...we should get going before bird boy here crashes.”

“Oh! It’s quite alright! Let him get some rest here! You two can stay the night, and I’ll make dinner. I know how much you love my soup.” She offered.

Scar looked at Grian, who gave a tired nod, his eyelids fighting to stay open.

Scar nodded to Aleighnya, who smiled happily. 

“Great! I’ll take Dreamslayer upstairs to the loft so he can rest.” The cat came over to Grian, who stood up, ready to follow her. The wizard had other plans as she scooped the man up in her strong arms and took him up the stairs. She gave him a cheerful grin as she set him down on a soft couch in front of a very out-of-place looking television.

“You can watch the tele if ya want. iScarly and I will be downstairs makin’ some soup.”

Grian sleepily chuckled at the name she called the wizard. “Thank you.”

“It’s no trouble at all. You’re probably tired cuz ya changin’”

The man became pensive. “Yeah...I’m...Yeah.” He had no words. 

Aleighnya ruffled his hair with her paw before pulling a blanket over him and heading back downstairs. 

Grian fell asleep to the sounds of the wizards laughing and cooking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHY THE HECK DID IT TAKE SO LONG FOR ME TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER? It was spread out over more than a week and I have no clue why it took so hecking long hdjkhfkdjsfhdskjf
> 
> Yes, get your laughs out now, Aleighnya is a furry  
> But she’s also part demon (tiefling) so like, don’t get on her bad side  
> She’s Scottish and i love her v much
> 
> Also I’ve been screaming in my head for the past couple of days bc Mumbo commented on my art for a third time, and Vicky did too, and hdjkhfjdkshfkjdsfhsdjkfhkdjsfhjksdfhjkdsfh  
> Idk man that just  
> Makes me so darn happy  
> Also, nascarlos was bc like....NASCAR....and Scarlos....two joke idea names for scar but i combined them
> 
> I had aleighnya call Grian “Dream” to confuse the simps :)
> 
> I’ve genuinely forgotten that I’ve written certain things in FW until i find them again or someone mentions them haha
> 
> also I’m HECKING PROUD OF THAT DESCRIPTION I WROTE OF THE CROSSROADS  
> LIKE DUDE  
> MAN  
> I’M COOL
> 
> Also if you caught my TAZ references, then I will love you forever and ever


	41. Election Watch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Pokémon Go? Pokémon Go to the polls.”

_**9 Years Ago** _

* * *

“Aleighnya! Take the others and get out of here! I’ll hold them off!” A young man wearing a wizardly getup ordered the tabaxi-tiefling. 

“I’m not going to leave you Scar!” 

“Go!”

Aleighnya gave in and nodded as she motioned for the five other wizards with her to follow where she was running to. They obeyed.

Scar heard voices coming around the corner. They spoke in a language he knew. His brain could translate the void words easily, he heard them like they were English.

“Are the little wizards back? Should we finish them off this time?” One voice asked another.

“I believe we should.” The second voice replied.

Scar took a deep breath and readied a spell, ready to attack if necessary. When the owners of the voices came into view, he felt a sense of dread as he recognized them. These particular Watchers had tried to attack his group once before. 

When the tall End creatures saw him, he could see one scowl and the other smile. 

“Only one? Less trouble for us, I guess.” The scowling one mumbled. 

The beings opened their large wings and lunged towards Scar. The wizard ducked out of the way and shot off his spell at them. The duo screeched as ethereal light blasted from his hands. They quickly regained their composure and stood tall to try again. One of them flew up, but Scar kept his eyes on the one in front of him. Its purple cloak flowed around their shoulders. It rose its large, dark, clawed hands and jumped again at the wizard. He dropped to the ground, but the Watcher quickly turned and hit him in the back as he got back up. He fell to the ground, but rolled out of the way as the Watcher who had flown up tried to dive bomb him. 

The wizard shot off a couple of cantrips to hold them back. While the Watchers were disoriented from the magical lights, Scar prepared his crystals. Before the beings could try and attack him again, Scar shot a set of sharp, glowing crystals at the lilac-skinned entities. The crystals cut their tough skin. Scar could see their dark purple blood. It wasn’t much, but perhaps now that they knew he could do damage, they would leave him alone.

The Watchers winced, but took another look at Scar and laughed. 

“Is that all, little wizard?” One of them snickered. 

The other Watcher summoned a ball of purple flame in its large claws. It shot the fire at Scar, who conjured a magic shield to deflect the attack. As this happened, the first Watcher disappeared from view. Scar looked around for the missing enemy, trying to stay calm.

It happened quickly. He didn’t even see the claws as they raked across his face, creating 3 long gashes. He cried out in pain and fell to the ground, using his cloak to soak the blood coming from the wounds. He was blinded.

The Watchers stood above him, both holding flames in their hands. They were about to finish off the wizard when a voice called out at them.

“Exavei! Xephira! Leave him alone!”

His vision was blurry, but Scar could make out a human-shaped figure standing across the room. He looked human, but had similar purple wings to the Watchers. He wore the same cloak as they did as well. He looked angry.

“Xisuma? Are you trying to stop us?” One of the Watchers sounded in disbelief. 

“Yes. Yes I am. You’ve made it clear to me that we’re on the wrong side.” The young man stepped forwards and stood his ground. He was around six feet tall, but the Watchers towered over him. 

“Exavei. You can go. I’ll handle little X myself.” The one who must have been Xephira told the other.

Exavei nodded and flew up and through the large open corridor that they were in. Scar was still on the ground, trying to get his vision to return to normal.

Xisuma took another step forward. “I used to think what we did was good. That it was a service to the Overworld. But now I see that all we are is bullies….Correction. All of  _ you _ are bullies. I’ve tried to stay out of the conflict, but I can’t watch any longer.”

“Are you going soft, Xisuma? Are we going to have to expel you like we did with your brother?”

Xisuma was not shaken by the threat. He raised his wings and lunged at the Watcher, purple flames encasing his fists. 

Scar scuttled out the way, hiding behind a pillar until he could open his eyes without being blinded by blood. He couldn’t see the fight, but he could hear it. 

Both parties of the fight sounded like they were putting up a good attack. Scar wiped his face again with his bloody cloak. He opened his eyes to see Xisuma standing in front of a crouched Watcher. At first, the Watcher looked to be defeated, but Scar could see from his lower position that the End being was preparing an attack out of Xisuma’s view. 

The man didn’t seem to be aware. Scar quickly got an attack of his own ready.

“Watch out!” The wizard yelled to the man. Xisuma turned to look at Scar as he jumped out of the way. Xephira was caught off guard by the warning, and was open to the attack that Scar shot at them. The crystals pierced their tough skin. They cried out in pain. 

“Get out of here. Now.” Xisuma glared down at Xephira from the air where he flew. The Watcher spat blood on the ground. The mask they wore was cracked. Half of it broke off and fell to the ground, revealing many bright, white glowing eyes. Scar felt their gaze bore into his mind. He shut his eyes tightly as he heard the Watcher fly up. 

“This isn’t over, Xisuma. The Council will decide your fate.”

“Tell the Council that I’m leaving. I’ll be taking the Admin position.”

Xephira shot through the halls, leaving the wizard and the man alone. Xisuma landed and ran over to the fallen man.

“Are you alright?” He knelt down next to Scar. The wizard sat up and opened his eyes. The man in front of him now had a long gash down his left eye. He bled violet blood that was lighter than the blood the Watchers had. His face sparkled with starry freckles. 

“Thanks to you, I am.” Scar nodded. “Are you okay?”

Xisuma wiped his own wound with his Watcher cloak. “I’ll be fine.”

“What’re they going to do to you?” The wizard stood up, the man helped him.

“Well, the Council likes me. I’ll just take the job offer they gave me and get out the End as fast as I can. I-...I can’t believe I let this go on for so long.” Xisuma sighed. 

“What does Admin mean? Like, of a server?” Scar asked. Xisuma nodded, and then smiled. 

“Would you like to join my server? I know we just met, but you seem like a good man.”

“I’m a bit preoccupied with my guild currently.” The wizard pointed over his shoulder with his thumb in the direction that Aleighnya took the others.

“Very good.” Xisuma nodded again. “My offer stands. If you ever want to join, you’re welcome to do so.”

“You don’t even know my name.” Scar pointed out. 

“You never told me.”

“...Good point. It’s nice to meet you. I’m GoodTimesWithScar, or just Scar for short.” The wizard extended his hand.

Xisuma gladly shook it. “Pleasure to meet you Scar. I’m Xisuma Void.”

Scar smiled. “I might take you up on your offer someday. If you need to find me, I’m a part of the Scarlet Cloaks.”

The winged man gave him a thumbs up. “Once I get my server, I’ll visit you so that you can know how to contact me.”

“Alright. Thank you again. You saved my life.” Scar smiled gratefully.

“I would gladly stand up against these wretched people again. But really, I should be thanking you. You and your crystals saved  _ me _ .” Xisuma chuckled. 

Scar shrugged. “Just doing my job.” He laughed. He started to head off, but then turned around. “Uh, will I be fine if I just wash out my wounds? Their claws aren’t like….poisonous or anything, right?”

“You’ll be fine. It’ll scar, most likely, but hey! That’s your name!” Xisuma said with optimism.

Scar chuckled. “You’re right!” He gave his hero a wave as he ran to his guild. 

Xisuma stood in the empty corridor. “I need good people like that. Goodness, I hope they put me with Biffa or Generik.” He said to himself before walking through the hall.

* * *

**_Present Day_ **

* * *

Scar sat at the table, eating the soup that he and Aleighnya had made. It tasted wonderful.

“So do you think the spell will work on Grum?” He asked his friend. She finished off her soup before answering. 

“I hope so. I remember that machines can be quite tricky to work with.”

Scar nodded and finished off his soup as well. As he stood up to put his dish away, he saw Grian come down the stairs. He seemed depressed. 

Aleighnya saw the bird. She took Scar’s bowl for him so that the hermits could talk.

“What’s wrong, G? You look sad.” The wizard met his friend as he got off the stairs. 

“You ever just...think about how little time we have? Normally that doesn’t bother me, but...now I really have only a little time. I only joined Hermitcraft last season, and I’m going to have to leave.” Grian sighed.

Scar put a hand on the bird’s shoulder. “Who ever said that you would have to leave?”

“I’m going to become a giant bird-”

“So?”

“What if I lose myself? What if I’m not able to remember any of you? Or remember who I am?”

“We’ll deal with that if that happens. If you don’t lose yourself, you won’t have to leave. You’re still a hermit, even if you’re a birdie.” Scar smiled kindly.

“I hope so.” G still seemed down.

“...You’re worried that you’ll become a bird before things get patched up with Mumbo, aren’t you?”

Grian stepped towards the table and sat down. He put his head down in his arms on the tabletop. “Yeah.”

“So why don’t you patch them up?”

“He doesn’t want to talk to me. Even if I tried, he wouldn’t let me in.”

Scar came over and sat down across from him at the table. “So you’re going to wait until he comes out first?”

“I guess.” Grian mumbled.

“Do you even have that kind of time?”

“No...but I might do more damage if I try to speak to him before he’s ready.”

Scar thought about it and then nodded sadly. “You’re right.”

“Dream, dear, would you like some soup?” Aleighnya poked her head around the corner.

Grian nodded. “Yes please.”

Scar looked at his sad buddy. He was almost as feathery as he was when Scar gave him Aleighnya’s potion. He’d have a few weeks, a month at most, left.

* * *

Scar and Grian stayed the night at Aleighnya’s cottage. In the morning, they thanked her and agreed on plans for Grum. Scar took Grian back through the crossroads to Hermitcraft. There was something different in the air on the server. 

When the two of them exited the main hall of the village, they saw Bdubs running from person to person, asking them if they’d seen Scar. The Boomer spotted Scar and ran over to him.

“There you are! Did you forget that the election was today? I’ve been looking for you all over!”

Scar’s eyes went wide. “Oh shoot! I did!” The candidate took Bdubs’ hand as he ran towards the shopping district. The Boomer stumbled as Scar ran, but was able to keep up. Grian didn’t follow, but instead flew up into the sky and took the air route to the shopping district.

Grian got there before Scar and Bdubs, but the other hermits were gathered and chattering. The polls hadn’t been opened yet, but they soon would be.

Xisuma stood at the announcement podium that Grian had stood when he told the server that he was Poultry Man. Once X saw Scar and Bdubs, he spoke up to get the rest of the hermits’ attention.

“Hello Hermitcraft! Today is Election Day! The ballots are set up in the voting booths for you. There are two booths. One for the mayor, the other for the dog catcher! Please take time to vote. Since all of you are present, save it be for our friend who cannot make it, the polls will close in a couple of hours.” The Admin spoke loud and clearly.

When he mentioned the friend who could not make it, both Grian and Xisuma glanced over to the Jrumbot shop and TVGrumbot. The bird sighed.

“Line up outside the booths to vote! One vote per hermit!” X added.

Half of the hermits lined up outside the dog catcher booth, and the other half lined up outside of the mayor booth. Joe was first in line for the dog catcher booth, a grin on his face. He was the only candidate for the position.

Grian waited for the other hermits to all vote. Once his friends had all finished casting their votes, he got up from where he was perched and approached the booths.

He entered the dog catcher booth first. It was a tight fit with his wings, but he managed. He cast his vote for Joe easily and exited the booth. He went to the mayoral booth next. It was also a tight fit. 

Grian scanned the list of candidates, weighing the choices in his head for each one as he went down the list.

His heart stopped when he got the final name.

He mouthed the name softly, sadness pulling at him again. 

“Mumbo Jumbo.” He muttered. 

Grian shook his head and took out a ballot. He marked the vote for Scar with little hesitation, dropping the ballot into the box.

He exited the booth and was greeted by Xisuma who could see that something bothered him.

“I’m sorry about his name being on the ballot still. He never officially resigned from the race, so I still had to include him.” The Admin apologized, knowing what the problem was.

“It’s fine…” Grian adjusted the goggles on his head. 

Xisuma was about to say something else when his eye was caught by something going on behind Grian.

“Alex! Leave Etho alone! I’m not gonna tell you again!” Xisuma yelled at his brother. He looked at Grian. “Sorry, G, I need to handle this.”

Grian nodded. Xisuma gave him a nod in return before running towards his twin and the ninja. 

The hermits were hanging around the shopping district for the results to be announced. Stress and Iskall had set up a little picnic under a tree. Iskall’s arm was still in a sling. His robotic eye was still broken. Stress wore one of Mumbo’s suits. How she got it, Grian had no idea. It was dyed hot pink.

The Swede winced in pain, but Stress made sure he was fine. Grian smiled at the scene. He looked around at the other Hermits. 

Joe and Cleo walked together around the shopping district, talking and laughing. Scar and Bdubs were sitting at a picnic bench with Cub, discussing who knows what. Doc and Ren were at a different picnic table with a game of D&D set up. Tango, Impulse, and Zedaph were playing with them. Jevin and xB were playing frisbee with False and Keralis.

Grian looked around at all the people he had grown to love. He didn’t want to have to leave them. He hoped he would be able to remember them when he changed. On the other hand, it might be easier for him if he didn’t retain memories. 

You can’t miss who you can’t remember.

The sky was still gray, but it wasn’t raining. Grian stood by himself, still watching his friends. Stress noticed the bird all alone and said something to Iskall before getting up. She approached her friend. 

“‘Ello Grian! Would you like to join Iskall and I for lunch?” She smiled sweetly. 

“No, no, I wouldn’t want to intrude.” Grian replied.

“You won’t be intruding. C’mon luv, there’s fish and chips with your name on it.” Stress took Grian’s hand and led him over to the tree. Iskall waved to them as they approached. 

“Hallo Grian.” The Swede smiled.

“Hey Iskall.” Grian returned the smile as he sat down. Stress took her spot next to Iskall before handing some food she cooked to the bird.

“Here you go, darling.” 

Grian took the food. “Thanks Stress.” He happily ate the meal. It was delicious.

As he ate, the three talked. Grian learned that Iskall had gotten the suit for Stress since she was running for mayor. It seemed that Hermits just had the habit of breaking into Mumbo’s house and stealing his clothes. Grian chuckled as Iskall told the story.

Grian felt more at ease and less like he was a loner whom another person had taken pity on. He told Stress about the wizard lady he’d just met because she reminded him of her. 

The three talked for an hour or so before Xisuma called out from the podium. 

“Hermits! I’ve counted the votes!”

The hermits stopped what they were doing to gather in front of the stage. 

“Behind you is where the results will be shown!” 

Xisuma motioned towards an area where cube pixel heads of the candidates were each set in front of a colour of concrete power. Next to each head was a space where a stack of powder would go according to the votes. 

“Once I press this button, the counter will place concrete power blocks to show the votes!” Xisuma explained before pressing the button. Blocks of concrete powder got placed. A few for False, a few for Stress. One for Doc since he had been gone for most of the race. An overwhelming amount for Scar. 

Grian’s heart hurt as he looked at Mumbo’s section. It made sense that no one had voted for him, but this election was started by Grian for Mumbo. This election was the reason why Grumbot was built.

The election was a big part of why the two of them were no longer speaking. 

When the count was over, Scar’s concrete powder stack towered above the rest. Grian looked at his wizard friend. Him and Bdubs were beaming in delight. 

“Everyone! Meet your new mayor of the Shopping District, GoodTimesWithScar!” Xisuma announced, stepping to the side as he waved Scar up to the stage. 

The wizard and the Boomer ran up to the podium while the Hermits applauded. Scar stood at the podium, waiting for it to die down. When it did, he spoke up.

“I want to thank you for choosing me to be your mayor! With the help of my vice mayor Bdubs, we will make the shopping district an even better place!” Scar said over the podium. “I’m not one for speeches, so I’ll let Xisuma announce the dog catcher.” Scar stepped out of the way to let the Admin make the second announcement.

“And your dog catcher is none other than Mr. Joe Hills!” The bee man motioned towards Joe, who was already standing on the stage. He held a stack of paper in his hands. 

He stepped up to the podium. He straightened the papers on the stand and cleared his throat.

“SPEECH! SPEECH!” Cleo called from the crowd before laughing. Joe grinned and threw the papers aside. 

“I reckon Cleo wants to give my speech!” Joe snickered. “C’mon up here, Cleo!” 

The crowd cheered on the zombie as she ran up to the podium and punched Joe in the arm. 

“Not what I meant, but I’ll do it anyways.” Cleo grinned. Joe stepped aside, stepping on the papers that were his speech. They were all blank.

“Hermits of Hermitcraft! My name is Joseph Hills, and I am yer new dog catcher! Y’all best keep yer doggies in line, or I’ll take charge! Ren, you best behave.” Cleo said in a mock southern accent. 

The crowd laughed, Ren chuckled nervously. He looked scared of the zombie lady. Cleo stepped aside from the podium and bowed. Joe gathered up his papers and hopped off the stage with Cleo. 

Scar and Bdubs waved to the crowd before exiting from the stage. Xisuma stepped up a final time to the podium. 

“Thank you all for coming out for the election! Don’t forget to clean up!” He told the hermits before taking his own paper off of the podium and stepping off of the stage. 

Grian sat on a block of mycelium after the announcements were made. He wasn’t quite sure what to do now. He wanted to talk to Scar, but he decided it would be best if he waited until after his friend was done being congratulated. He sighed.

He heard a meow next to him. The bird turned his head to see Jellie rubbing up against his wing. He pet her on the head, hearing her purr. She hopped into his lap and rubbed against his bare, feathery chest. 

Grian smiled. “Hey girl.” He scratched under the cat’s chin. Jellie raised her head as he did so. 

Jellie looked at him. “Mrrowr?” She seemed to ask.

“I’m fine.” Grian answered, as if she had asked him how he was.

The cat rubbed against him some more, taking interest in his feathers. She batted at his chest with her paw before trying to bite the feathers. Grian leaned back and picked her up. 

“No, no, don’t do that.” Grian held her in the air. He brought her close and gave her a kiss on the forehead. He set Jellie down on the ground before standing up. He would talk to Scar later. Right now, he just wanted to think.

Grian turned to get one last look at TVGrumbot and the Jrumbot shop before flying up into the air and towards his mansion. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would die for Joe and Cleo  
> I don’t even watch them, but they have such a fun dynamic to write  
> Also GOODNESS that scene at the beginning was difficult to write  
> I’ve never really written combat before haha  
> Also, trying to figure out how to describe the hermit heads in a way that established that they were fake and shaped like Minecraft heads without saying Minecraft was hard haha  
> Smh grian b intruding on Stress and Iskall’s date jkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjk  
> Also, TIL that xB was 13 when he joined HC back in s2


	42. Live, Laugh, Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Don’t look at me with those eyes  
> I tried to unheave the ties  
> Turn back the time that drew him  
> But he couldn’t be saved.  
> A sadness runs through him.”

Grian had nothing but nightmares for the next week. Each night, he relived the loss of his family, the loss of Sunshine, the loss of Taurtis, the loss of himself, the loss of Mumbo. All the extra stress caused him to lose quite a bit of sleep. The bird would pace his room hundreds of times, going over the problems in his head. He wasn’t sure how to fix anything anymore. 

On the sixth night of these consecutive nightmares, he decided that he had had enough. He was losing time,losing sleep, and losing his mind. 

Grian went to the roof of his mansion and took off. He looked at the skies around him. It was late at night, but the moon and stars were blocked by the storm clouds that had been plaguing the server for weeks. He wondered when they would finally break and release their downpour. 

“Okay, I’m going to get there and I’m going to apologize to Mumbo.” Grian told himself out loud. His muscles were tense with built up electricity and it hurt. It hurt a lot. The bird began to find it hard to fly, so he made a pit stop on top of a tree. Dreamslayer caught his breath and looked up at the sky. He channeled the pent-up lightning inside of him and shot it off into the air. 

“Thaaaat’s better.” He mumbled. He’d come to realize that if he didn’t shoot off the extra electricity inside of him, it would start to build up and become very bothersome. 

Grian looked down at his chest and arms. The feathers didn’t disgust him anymore. They just made him sad. 

There was so much going on inside his head. Everything hurt, but in different ways. His scars burned, his head felt crowded, his muscles were sore. He kind of wished that he would just become a bird already. 

An idea came to him.

“Mumbo said I had become a bird the night I blacked out…” He muttered to himself. “Maybe...Maybe I can do it again. Maybe I can try that again and this time  _ stay _ a bird.”

The idea was strangely tempting. When this whole ordeal started, he would have despised the thought. 

He had changed.

But doing so, he decided, would be selfish. He had made promises and had responsibilities. He needed to stick it out.

Grian sighed and took off into the air again, flying towards TVGrumbot and the Shopping District. He landed on the platform and paused.

“It’s no big deal, Grian. You’re just...fixing a friendship. It’ll go fine.” 

The electrical hum of TVGrum had been lost ever since he had become broken. Grian was used to it being gone.

But the command centre of the robot was even more silent than it used to be. Grian wasn’t sure why. 

He stepped up to the centre and put his hand on it. The metal was cold and lifeless. After a moment, the bird pressed the button for the lift.

And he waited. 

And waited.

And waited.

He pressed the button over and over. He stood at the console for ten minutes, pressing the button and waiting. 

But nothing happened.

There was no whirr of the lift.

It took a second, but Grian finally realized the reason why it felt so silent. The lift wasn’t on. 

That realization only made him panic more. That meant the kids and Mumbo were stuck down there. 

Grian flew up into the sky and went over the water, looking down. He saw the lights from the HQ shining brightly through the ocean. Grian pulled his goggles down onto his face. The bird held his breath and dove down into the cold, salty water. He swam down to the top of the HQ, peeking down over the edge of it to look inside. He opened his eyes, happy that the goggles kept the water out. He could see inside the living room. He saw Iskall.

Grian did a double take. 

How and why was Iskall there? As the bird looked closer, he realized that his eye was fixed and his arm wasn’t broken. 

That couldn’t have been the real Iskall.

At that moment, Grian had to swim up quickly. He had been too focused on the imposter to monitor his breath. He broke the surface of the water and gasped in a large breath of air. 

He swam over to the platform, his wings too heavy with water to fly directly out of the ocean. The bird pulled himself up onto the platform and laid down, breathing in and out, trying to collect his thoughts. 

Grian removed his goggles and sat up. He was soaked, but it helped that his feathers were watertight. After a few minutes of catching his breath, he stood up and shook off like a wet dog. Water droplets flew everywhere and by the time he was done, his wings were almost completely dry. His hair and trousers were still sopping, but they would dry. 

His eyes stung, but he couldn’t tell if it was from tears or from the salt water. A wave of frustration came over him when he realized that he wouldn’t be able to apologize to Mumbo that night. He balled his fist and punched the nearest object, which happened to be TVGrumbot. Grian’s frustration dissipated when he saw what he had done.

Now he was certain that it was tears.

The bird stared regretfully at the dent in the side of his son. He stepped closer and set his hand on the damage. 

“Our fight hurt you, didn’t it?” Grian said to no one. 

It was silent. 

“I need Xisuma’s help…” Grian spoke softly as he wiped the tears from his face. 

Grian took off into the sky again, the night air drying his trousers and hair. 

When the bird arrived at Xisuma’s, he didn’t wait to knock on the door. The lights were on and he was certain that the Admin was still awake. 

After a minute, the bee man opened the door. 

“Grian! Why are you soaking wet?”

“Xisuma, have you tried to go down into the HQ lately?” Grian didn’t answer his question. 

“I-...No?”

“Well, I tried tonight and I couldn’t. The lift is broken, and so I had to dive into the water to see what was going on inside, and...and well, I think Mumbo’s locked himself in and is building more hermit robots-” Grian explained in a panic.

Xisuma’s expression became more serious. “I need to talk to him, don’t I?”

“If you can get down there! I’m...I’m worried…” Grian wrapped his wings around himself to keep himself warm. 

“Don’t worry G. I’ll...I’ll try to do so first thing tomorrow morning. In the meantime, you need to dry off. Come inside.” Xisuma motioned for the bird to enter, which he did. The fireplace warmed the house nicely. 

The Admin led Grian over to the fire and sat down in front of it with him. Grian opened his wings up and let them fall loosely. He was so tired.

The two sat in calming silence that was broken by heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. Xisuma didn’t turn his head.

“Alex...please, not tonight.”

Grian turned to look at the Admin’s twin. He wasn’t wearing his usual red armour, but was dressed in Xisuma’s old green armour. 

“But Etho-”

“ _ Not _ tonight.”

“...You can’t tell me what to do. You’re not Dad.” Alex huffed and put on the green helmet, slamming the door as hard as he could on his way out. A lantern fell from the shelf and shattered as it hit the ground. Xisuma sighed and stared into the fire. He looked even more tired than Grian did.

Something glimmered on X’s face, catching G’s attention. He watched as a single tear slid down the Admin’s fire lit face. Neither man said anything for a few minutes.

Xisuma stood up and walked upstairs without another word. Grian was left alone in the living room, wondering what had happened between the brothers. 

* * *

**_Season 2_ **

* * *

“Hey Mumbo! How did the first month of Hermitcraft feel?” The doom Admin approached the young man who was sitting at an enchantment table. He looked up and gave a half-hearted smile to the man. 

“It went alright. It’s really cool here, and everyone is really nice! It’s weird to think I’m not even the youngest Hermit here.” The glasses-wearing boy answered. Xisuma nodded with a chuckle.

“You’ve been seeming a bit down for the past week or so. Is everything alright?” 

Mumbo thought silently for a moment before answering. “I guess I’m just homesick. I’ve...I’ve never really been this far away from home for this long.”

Xisuma took a seat across from Mumbo at the enchantment table. Something about the glow of the mystical floating book made X’s scars shimmer. “If you want, you don’t have to stay here. You can go back home.” The admin offered. 

“N-no, I want to stay. Besides, I already sort of ruined things back home with Natalie and our plans to go to Uni.” The boy readjusted his glasses before looking at his lap to avoid eye contact.

Xisuma couldn’t help but feel like there was distance between him and the young hermit. He wanted to do something about that. He thought about xB, the youngest hermit. X had rescued the 13 year old boy from Watchers that destroyed his home. Xisuma had taken him in, just like his own dad did with him. 

Maybe Mumbo just needed a semi-fatherly influence to support him. He looked at the young man from across the table, his field of view filled with the Galactic symbols floating about the table. With a smile, Xisuma got an idea. 

He stood up and came over to the other side of the enchantment table and sat down next to Mumbo. He put his arm around him and gave him a side hug.

“Why don’t we get your mind off of that. How about I teach you how to read the enchantment book?” Xisuma motioned towards the tome in front of them.

Mumbo looked up. His eyes were red and full of tears. The boy took off his glasses to wipe his eyes. X noticed that, without his glasses on, the hermit’s eyes were a tad crooked. He put his glasses back on his face and gave his Admin a confused look.

“What do you mean? It’s not that hard to understand. It’s in English.” Mumbo pointed out.

“Well, hold on. The book translates itself for the user, but it’s actually written in Galactic.” Xisuma told the young man. “It’s the dead language of the Watchers, a long-gone race that used to live deep in the End.” With little hesitation, the Admin decided to protect the boy from the End creatures with a simple lie.

Mumbo’s expression brightened. “That actually sounds really cool.” He sat up and opened up the enchantment tome and frowned. “This is still in English.”

“You need to focus on seeing it for what it truly is. Try to push away the translation.” Xisuma explained. 

Mumbo squinted his eyes as he tried to think about Galactic. It didn’t work.

“Er, the problem might be that I don’t know what Galactic looks like.” Mumbo realized.

“Hm, you’re right. I should probably teach you first.” The Admin took some paper and a pen out of his inventory and took the enchantment book off of the table. He set it down next to its decorated obsidian block before setting the paper down on the table. He took a moment to write out the Galactic alphabet.

Xisuma motioned to the paper for Mumbo. “These are the Galactic symbols. It’s quite easy to learn, actually. There is a symbol for each letter of your, uh,...our alphabet.” 

Mumbo looked at Xisuma. “I recognize this.” He said. 

“Oh?” Xisuma was either about to be very worried or pleasantly surprised. 

“Yeah, isn’t this from that one game? Commander Keen?” 

Xisuma grinned beneath his helmet. “Yup. That’s not just a game though. It’s based on real events and people.” He added.

Mumbo stared at X. “You’re joking, right?”

“Not one bit.”

The young man blinked. “Well, alright then.” 

“Let’s begin.”

* * *

**_Present Day_ **

* * *

Xisuma sat on the edge of his bed, facing away from the door. On the floor in front of the TV was Alex’s usual suit, a red variant of the green doom suit. Xisuma looked over at his closet where his Beesuma suit hung. It was a bee-themed variant of the doom suit. 

X sighed. He knew why Alex had taken the original green version. It was the suit that had belonged to their father. When he died, Xisuma sort of claimed it as his since Alex was on trial and in trouble with the Council at the time. Alex never let X live it down that he took the suit. 

Alex had always been jealous of Xisuma. X was the favourite child, the goody two-shoes, the perfect twin. Alex was the troublemaker, the rebel, the vandalist. 

At least, that’s what the Watchers wanted the boys to think. In reality, Alex was trying to defy the Watchers because he saw through their facade. He knew that they were terrible, but Xisuma was too blind to see. 

When the Council banished Alex, he took up residency in the Nether, the place where their dad would fight off demons. He found some of their father’s friends, who gave him the red Doomsuit. 

Xisuma didn’t realize until after he became an Admin that Alex hadn’t actually been trying to be the bad guy. He was trying to save X from the Watchers, even if it meant getting cast out of the End.

The Admin ran his hands through his hair as he thought about what Alex had said to him.

_ You’re not Dad _ .

Those words had hit the End man like a ton of bricks. X wanted to be like their father. He was a great man, and X looked up to him.

But Alex didn’t want him to be like that. 

Or perhaps, Alex still wasn’t over the suit thing. 

Xisuma shook his head to himself. He knew he was avoiding the truth. Alex was still hurt that X took the side of the Watchers during the trial. Xisuma had betrayed his own brother.

He never apologized.

In fact, when Alex tried to make some sort of reconciliation with his brother in Seasons 3 and 4, Xisuma pushed him away. He banned him from Hermitcraft.

“Maybe _I’m_ the bad guy.” X put his head in his hands. “Maybe I should try to be less like me...and more like my brother.”

The Admin stood up and went to the red suit. He picked it up and examined it. Perhaps if he wore his brother’s armour, he could show Alex that he wanted to be like him. Maybe then he could finally get through to his twin. 

The hermits would question his change in outfit for sure. Xisuma went to his closet and pulled out a red cloak. It had been a gift from Scar years ago. 

The musician pulled out materials so he could add on to the cloak. The Admin attached fabric to create something similar to the little feelers on the side of a Strider’s head. X had changed his suit for turtles and for bees. This time, it’d be for this update’s new mob. 

Once he had added that detail to the cloak, he donned the armour and put the cloak on. He pulled the hood on over his helmet and went over to his mirror. 

He looked like Alex. 

Good.

He looked at himself for a minute or two before he turned around. He was about to take the armour off when he heard the soft footsteps of someone walking on carpet. Xisuma turned towards his open bedroom door to see Grian standing in the doorway. 

“Xisuma? What are you doing? Isn’t that Alex’s suit?”

“...Yes, but he took mine.”

“Don’t you have the bee one?”

Xisuma stared at the bird for a moment. 

“I need to try and get through to Alex...Kind of like how you are trying to get through to Mumbo.”

Grian understood. “Well...maybe you need help. I need your help to get through to Mumbo...Maybe you need someone else’s help to get through to your brother.”

“Hm...I have an idea of who can help...But that’s for a later time. Right now, we’re gonna figure out how to get inside the HQ and what I should say to Mumbo. I’ll strike at dawn….Well, more like 8 AM or something.” Xisuma chuckled. Grian felt something was off about X’s demeanor. Was he purposefully lowering his voice a tad and trying to speak like his brother? 

The Admin took off the cloak and set it on his bed before removing the red helmet. “That thing smells like strawberries.” He looked inside the helmet before setting it down as well. 

Xisuma went over to a chest and pulled out some ender pearls and some chorus fruit.

“You wanna do this here or downstairs?” Xisuma looked over at Grian. He still looked cold. 

“Uh...here’s fine...I guess?” 

Xisuma turned to the unlit fireplace in his room. Xisuma had built himself a pretty big bedroom so that Alex could hide away in it, as he often would do, and not need to come out unless necessary. The Admin crossed the room and knelt in front of the fireplace. His hand was consumed by magical purple fire, but the man was completely fine. Xisuma lit the Netherrack and stood up, extinguishing the flame on his hand with one quick flick of his wrist. Grian came over to the fire and huddled close to the flame. 

Xisuma sat near him and laid out the end fruit and pearls. “Do you happen to have a blueprint of the HQ?”

Grian looked through his inventory. He pulled out a shulker box that had been in there for weeks. He looked inside the box, finding it full of plans for his builds. The newest one had been the HQ. 

“Somehow, I do.” The bird handed the plans over to the Strider man. Xisuma laid it out and began studying it. Grian went to close the shulker when something caught his eye. He reached in and pulled out the plans for Grumbot’s original body and the plans for the Jrumbot shop. 

If that didn’t hurt enough, Grian pulled out a stack of papers he had put in there as well. The simple text on the printer paper felt like a stab to the heart. Grum’s notes.

“‘Suma?” Grian said, still staring at the papers in his hands.

“Hm? What is it, G?” Xisuma asked, his focus still on the blueprints. 

“Did I ever tell you about  _ my _ family?” 

Xisuma looked over his shoulder at the bird. “I...I don’t think so.”

“I had a brother, like you...except mine was my little brother. Echo was his name...I say ‘was’, but it’s not like he’s gone. I just haven’t seen him in years. I had a sister too. Her name was Stella... _ she’s _ gone though. She went missing on a field trip and they never found her.” Grian spoke very quietly. It seemed like it was painful for him to think about this.

“The loss hit my parents hard...It hurts to watch a family crumble to pieces...I lived with my dad, Echo lived with mom. I spent more time with my friends than at home. Nothing was really the same.”

Xisuma stopped working as his friend talked. He turned towards the bird and faced him, giving him his attention.

“The whole ‘dad’ situation with me and Mumbo was hard for me because I was scared I’d mess up. I wasn’t sure what a good dad or a good family was. And now, we’ve split, just like my family. The difference between my old family and my new one is that it’s my fault my new one is broken.”

Xisuma scooted in close to his friend and gave him a hug. “And I’m going to help you fix it.”

Grian smiled and wiped his eyes. “Thanks…”

“I know how hard it feels to lose people. You lose a part of yourself when it happens. But you’re not broken beyond repair…” Xisuma looked down at the enderpearl in his hand. He could see his reflection in it. 

“Alright. Enough crying. Let’s see what we can do.” Grian smiled sadly. Xisuma nodded.

“Okay. I don’t know if there’s any easy way to get inside the HQ that doesn’t involve breaking in, which would flood the place. The options we have involve teleportation. I doubt Enderpearls would work. Chorus fruit might, but...it’s too random...I might have to use my Admin privileges.” Xisuma explained and held up his left forearm. A silver bracer reflected the purple firelight. 

“You’d break the rules?” Grian looked surprised.

“The well-being of my family is at stake. I’d break any rules to fix it.” 

It took Grian a second to realize that Xisuma was referring to Grian and Mumbo as his family. 

“I...I didn’t break it.” The bird mumbled to himself.

“Hm?” Xisuma looked at him.

“My new family. I didn’t break it...it’s still here...You guys are all my family.” Grian smiled and wiped his eyes again. The bird threw his arms around his friend.

“I bet your dad would be proud of you, X. You’re...you’re a good dadmin to the hermits.” Grian looked up at the doomguy.

X’s eyes grew wide as a smile crept onto his face. “Dadmin?”

“Yeah, you’re the Admin and you look after the hermits like a dad. Dadmin. I should trademark that.” Grian chuckled. 

Xisuma laughed happily. His smile dimmed. “We’ll see if I can use that to convince Mumbo to open up.”

“He’ll listen to you….I hope.” Grian looked at the fire.

* * *

  
  


The next morning came quicker than Xisuma realized it would. Grian was huddled up in front of the fireplace, asleep. The sun was barely rising, but X didn’t want to wait any longer. He put on the red helmet and his cloak before exiting the bedroom, turning off the lights on the way out.

Xisuma decided he would disguise his wings as tiny cream-coloured angel wings while in the red suit. They would match the fabric feelers he had attached to his hood. 

The Admin walked down the stairs into the living room. His eyes were drawn to the broken glass of the lantern that had fallen the night before. He sighed and left the house, making sure to lock up on the way out. Xisuma flew up into the sky and towards the HQ. It was sprinkling and the air was cool. As he approached TV Grumbot, Xisuma got his bracer ready. He hovered in the air in front of the broken droid as he entered the cords of the inside of the HQ. He entered the command and was transported from his spot in the air to the living room of the base.

The lights were on and Mumbo was definitely awake. The roboticist didn’t notice the Admin pop in. He was preoccupied by robots that looked just like the hermits. Xisuma frowned when he saw one of him. 

“Mumbo.”

The hermit turned around slowly. His confusion persisted at the sight of who he thought was Alex. 

Xisuma knew that Mumbo hadn’t been really taking care of himself, but it was a shock to see what he looked like. Grian was right when he described the man as a “hobo”. Xisuma could see the confusion in the man’s expression as he looked up and down the red suit.

“Mumbo, it’s me, Xisuma.” X took a step towards the hermit. Mumbo stepped back. 

“How did you get in here?” 

“I teleported. Mumbo, what are you doing?” 

Mumbo started to laugh. “Building! You wanna meet my family?”

“Mumbo-” The Admin was cut off by the roboticist pulling him towards a room filled with robots. The robots from the living room followed. He was now in a large room, and everywhere he looked was another robot.

“Everyone! Meet Xisuma! Most of you already know him.” Mumbo motioned towards the red armoured man.

The hermitbots waved. Xisuma felt uneasy. He needed to talk to Mumbo  _ now. _

“Mumbo, I need to talk to you. Alone. Away from them.” Xisuma grabbed Mumbo’s wrist.

The roboticist looked confused. “Alright?” 

Xisuma pushed through the crowd of robots back into the now-empty living room. Mumbo closed the door to the robot room.

“So, what’s up?”

Xisuma pulled off his hood. “Mumbo, what have you done?” He said with urgency in his voice. 

“What do you mean?” Mumbo’s smile felt forced.

“You built every single hermit? You locked yourself down here with almost half a stack of androids? Mumbo, have you looked at yourself lately? You’re not taking care of yourself!” Xisuma’s usually calm demeanor was gone. He made no effort to hide to panic and worry in his voice. 

“Suma, I’m fine! You have no need to worry.” Mumbo continued to smile.

Xisuma's hands shook as he grabbed Mumbo’s shoulders. 

“╎ ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ ||𝙹⚍, ᒲ⚍ᒲʖ𝙹. ||𝙹⚍’∷ᒷ ꖎ╎ꖌᒷ ᔑ ᓭ𝙹リ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ᒲᒷ, ╎リ ᔑ ∴ᔑ||. ╎ ᓵᔑリ’ℸ ̣ ∴ᔑℸ ̣ ᓵ⍑ ||𝙹⚍ ↸𝙹 ℸ ̣ ⍑╎ᓭ.”

Mumbo’s forced smile faultered for a moment. “I still don’t understand. D-Do what? What can’t you watch me do?”

Xisuma gripped his shoulders. “I can’t watch you kill youself! Because that’s what’s going to happen if you don’t start taking care of yourself! This will literally kill you.” 

Mumbo looked at Xisuma’s eyes through the visor. “I’m _fine_ , Xisuma.”

Xisuma let go in disbelief. He put his hands on the side of his helmet and removed it. 

Mumbo was caught off guard by this move. Xisuma wouldn’t be able to breathe down here. 

When the Admin took off his helmet, Mumbo could clearly see the tears rolling down his face. He looked distressed. 

“P-please, Mumbo. I don’t know what I would do if you were to die because of this. I don’t-...I don’t want to fail you, and yet I feel as if I have. I’m sorry-...” Xisuma said, trying to breathe in as little of the overworldian air as possible. He was quickly getting lightheaded.

Seeing Xisuma like this hit Mumbo. He could tell that the Admin was close to passing out. Mumbo grabbed X’s helmet and put it on the Admin before he could black out. 

“What are  _ you _ doing?! You can’t breathe down here!” Mumbo dropped his forced smile. He became frantic as he held the Admin up. When the helmet was returned to his head, Xisuma took in a deep breath. He felt dizzy, but regained his composure. 

When he looked up at Mumbo, he could see that he had made a breakthrough. The roboticist had started to cry as he held onto Xisuma so that the Admin wouldn’t fall over. 

X steadied himself and put his arms around Mumbo. “Please...I can’t lose you.”

Mumbo hugged Xisuma tightly. He was the first real person he had seen in weeks. 

“You miss your family, don’t you?” Xisuma asked the younger man.

Mumbo nodded silently, crying onto the red cloak.

“Well...We miss you too.”

Mumbo pulled away from the hug. “Did you really mean what you said? About the son thing?”

Xisuma nodded. “I meant it…Grian told me I’m the dadmin.” The Admin softly chuckled before pausing for a moment. “Mumbo, I need you to promise me something. Well, a few things. Promise me that you’ll take care of yourself and fix the lift. Promise me that you’ll get rid of the robots. You can keep your kids, and I urge you to do so, but please get rid of the robots you made of real people. And promise me that you’ll listen to Grian.”

Mumbo expression hardened at the last promise. “But I-“

“Mumbo. If he comes by here, please let him apologize. You don’t need to accept his apology, but at least let him get it off of his chest. He doesn’t have much time left. Please. Promise me you’ll do these things.” 

Mumbo looked Xisuma in the eyes through the visor. “I-...I promise.”

“Thank you, Mumbo...I need to go now. I have another family issue to resolve...I love you very much.”

Mumbo smiled slightly. “I love you too, Dadmin.” Even though he couldn’t see it, Mumbo knew that X was smiling. 

Xisuma nodded and typed a command into his bracer. He popped out of existence, leaving Mumbo alone in the living room.

Mumbo looked down at his hands. “Oh goodness, I’m so sorry Xisuma but I can’t do those things...Not yet anyway...I-..I’m not ready.” He spoke to himself.  “I have too much to build to stop now.” The roboticist pulled a wrench out of his lab coat pocket. 

“Dad.” 

Mumbo turned around. Grum stood in the corridor. He had been there the whole time.

“Dad. If you’re not going to stop building, at least sleep and shower. Xisuma’s right. You’ll die if you continue on like this and-” Grum blinked back tears. “And I can’t lose another dad.”

Mumbo sighed. “...Okay.” He couldn’t let Grum get hurt again.

“Go take a shower and shave, Dad. You’ll feel better once you look like yourself again.” Grum shoved a towel into his father’s arms.

Mumbo took the towel. “Alright.” He handed the wrench he was holding to his son before turning around and heading towards the bathroom. 

The roboticist took a long shower. The majority of the time, he was sitting and just staring at the wall, letting the water hit him as his thoughts ran at a million miles per hour. 

When he finally finished, he got dressed in clean clothes. A fresh t-shirt and pants and a clean labcoat. Mumbo cleaned off the lenses of his glasses with the edge of his shirt before setting them on the counter. He looked at himself in the mirror. 

“Maybe Grum’s right.”

Mumbo picked up his electric razor and began to fix his face. He made sure to keep his mustache. He finished the job and splashed water on his face and dried it with a towel. Mumbo looked at his reflection again.

His eyes filled with tears.

He recognized himself.

He would have to do something about his hair later. He would probably botch the haircut. Instead, Mumbo opened one of the drawers and pulled out a hair tie. He gathered up his hair and tied it with the band. He laughed at his reflection, reminding himself of Ren or, alternatively, Stress when she would put her hair up. 

Mumbo exited the bathroom after putting his glasses back on. Grum was sitting on the couch with Xisumadroid. When he saw his father, Grum grinned wide. 

“Dad!” Grum jumped up and hugged his father tightly. “I missed you.”

“I-...I was in there for like, an hour.” Mumbo chuckled. 

“I missed not-hobo Dad.” Grum smiled.

Mumbo ruffled Grum’s hair. “I missed me too.”

Mumbo still felt like a part of him was gone though. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dadmin dadmin dadmin  
> This chapter is named after the meme haha  
> I released SSAU Part 7 yesterday btw
> 
> Grian family go brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr   
> Xisuma :defaultdancingralsei:
> 
> Okay but xB being the adopted “son” of Dadmin Xisuma is my favourite thing ever oh goodness yes hehe


	43. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Siren spends 4 hours writing a chapter that, at first glance, makes no sense in regards to the plot of Featherweight.

* * *

**_Season 2_ **

* * *

Mumbo entered the Admin’s base for his lesson. Xisuma had been teaching him Galactic for a few days, and Mumbo knew it was X’s excuse to cheer Mumbo up, but that was fine. It was working. 

Mumbo looked around the corner, but the doomguy was nowhere in sight. He heard his voice coming from one of the rooms though. As the young man approached the door, he could hear another voice similar to X’s, but deeper. 

“So you don’t want my help then.” The deeper voice huffed.

“Alex, you know that’s not-”

“Save it, ‘Suma.”

Heavy boots came towards the door. Mumbo hid back around the corner so that he wouldn’t be caught eavesdropping. A man in a suit of armour almost identical to Xisuma’s except red marched out of the room and to the exit of the base. Mumbo was certain that the mystery man hadn’t seen him.

Xisuma came outside the room soon after. Mumbo had quickly taken a seat in front of the enchantment table, trying to look nonchalant. 

The Admin went over to the young hermit and sighed as he took his own seat. 

“Sorry about the delay. There was a bit of business that I had to attend to.” X tried to brush off the situation.

“It’s quite alright.” Mumbo smiled. 

“Why don’t we begin.” Xisuma opened up the tome.

* * *

**_Present Day_ **

* * *

Xisuma stood in front of the mirror, once again in his Strider suit. 

“I have an idea of who can help me, but...It’s definitely risky.” X turned to Grian who was sipping some tea in front of the fire. 

“Who is it?”

“So, you know Wels, right?”

Grian nodded. Strange question, but alright.

“Wels has this sort of...split personality thing, but not quite? It’s a nether version of himself. He calls himself ‘Hels’. You might have seen Wels talking to himself before.” Xisuma explained. 

“Oh...I just thought he was crazy.” Grian kind of chuckled. 

“Well, aren’t we all?” X pulled the hood of his cloak over the helmet. 

“Speaking of crazy people,” Grian stood up. “How-....How did it go with Mumbo?”

Xisuma paused for a moment before answering. “He said he would get rid of the hermitbots and fix the lift. He’ll take care of himself...hopefully.”

“That’s good…”

“And he promised that he would at least listen to you if you came around to apologize.” Xisuma added.

“That’s even better.” Grian looked relieved. 

“How much time do you have left?” Xisuma looked over his bird buddy. He was the featheriest that he had ever been. 

“Two-ish weeks or so, I’m guessing…” Grian answered sadly.

Xisuma nodded and came over to the bird. “Whatever happens, we’ll be here for you.” He reassured him in a soft voice. Grian smiled.

“Thanks.”

* * *

**_Season 2_ **

* * *

Xisuma put on a kettle of tea as he waited for Mumbo to arrive for his lesson. The young hermit was a quick learner and it made X happy to see Mumbo happy. He heard the door open, and looked up to quite the surprise. Mumbo came into view, a massive grin on his face...and he had a mustache. 

“Well! That’s definitely new.” Xisuma commented.

“Yeah! Do ya like it?” Mumbo took his seat across from the Admin. He wasn’t wearing his glasses, but his eyes didn’t look crooked like they normally would without them. His teeth didn’t look crooked either. 

“It fits you really well! Is...is it real?” Xisuma asked. Mumbo had come over the day before, and he didn’t look like he was growing a mustache at all.

Mumbo nodded. “It’s a family thing. Jumbo family men get mustaches around their 18th birthday or so. It’s weird, but cool. My brother shaved his off though haha.” The hermit looked very happy. The mustache made him look older as well. 

“Well, how about that.” X chuckled. 

“And! I don’t have to wear my glasses anymore! My mustache is distracting enough!” Mumbo added. 

“Can you still see?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.” Mumbo laughed. Xisuma hadn’t seen him this happy since the boy joined Hermitcraft. 

“Are we gonna start?” Mumbo asked. 

X nodded and stood up. “I’ll get us some tea.”

There were a few moments of silence. 

“Thanks for doing this for me, ‘Suma.” Mumbo said in a quieter voice. 

Xisuma poured a cup of tea for both him and the young hermit. 

“It’s no problem. I’m happy that this is helping you.” He set the cup in front of Mumbo, who looked down at his lap awkwardly.

“Can I hug you?” The hermit glanced up. 

Xisuma was taken back a bit by this. “Huh? Oh, of course!” X set down his own cup and held open his arms for Mumbo.

The now-glassesless hermit stood up and hugged Xisuma tightly. He was bending his knees slightly so that they would be more the same height. Xisuma tilted his head to the side so his helmet wouldn’t get in the way. 

The hug lasted for a minute or two before Mumbo let go and wiped his eyes. 

“Haha, thanks. I needed that.” The hermit smiled.

“I...I think I needed that too.” Xisuma blinked back tears of his own. 

“So, where were we?” Mumbo pulled out his notebook.

* * *

**_Present Day_ **

* * *

Xisuma walked through the shopping district. The hermits he passed by complimented him on his new suit. He conversed with them gladly. He was good at putting his family issues separate from the events of the server, which helped him be good at acting like things were fine. 

The Admin scouted out the district, looking for the knightly soldier. It wasn’t long before he saw Wels walking down a path by himself. Xisuma hurried over to the hermit. 

“Wels! Hello!”

The knight looked up. The red suit gave him a bit of panic before he realized that it was Xisuma and not Alex. 

“Oh, uh, hi Xisuma!” Wels waved as the Admin approached. 

“How’s your day been?” Xisuma asked pleasantly. 

Wels smiled. “It’s been going pretty well. How about you?”

“Mine’s been...alright..” Xisuma answered. He sighed. “Hey, could I ask a favour of you?”

Wels seemed confused for a moment. “Sure? What’s up?”

“I’m having trouble getting through to my brother. Alex...won’t listen to me...and I can’t blame him. I thought maybe you could have more luck.” Xisuma explained. 

Wels chuckled nervously. “I-...I mean, I don’t think I could be much help-”

“Wels. I need Hels’ help...if that’s okay…”

Wels tensed up. “I just want you to know that I’m not responsible for anything he does.”

“Oh no, of course, of course. I’ll make sure that he doesn’t get into trouble when he’s here. Are you still...aware of what goes on?” Xisuma replied.

“Yeah, I’m kind of like a voice in his head, like how he is for me when I’m in control.” Wels looked around to make sure no one else was around. “Okay, I’ll...I’ll let him take over.”

Wels stepped back and said something to himself in a hushed whisper. He flinched violently before his head snapped back up. His eyes were now an almost glowing orange, and the plume on his helmet was now on fire. His stare was much more intense. 

“So. You need  _ my _ help, huh?” Hels had a similar voice to Wels, but deeper. 

“Yes. Please.”

Hels raised his eyebrow. “And what makes you so sure that I’ll agree to help?”

Xisuma sighed. “I’ll give you what you want most.” The Admin was hesitant in saying this.

“You’ll...give me my own body?” The glint in Hels’ eyes intensified. 

“Yes. But you can’t destroy the server. You can live in the Overworld or the Nether, whichever you prefer.”

“Ugh, Nether please. I hate this place. It rains.” Hels pointed up to the storm clouds which had sprinkled a bit earlier, but were once again withholding their downpours. 

“Thank you. Come with me. We need to find Alex.”

* * *

**_Season 2_ **

* * *

Mumbo looked at himself in the mirror. He admired his new mustache with joy. He looked much older and much more professional. To go along with his fancy facial hair, the hermit wore a black 3-piece suit. 

His smile started to fade as he began to think of his family. Would they recognize him now? He definitely looked different from when he left. 

Was he still the same? He liked to believe that he’d grown as a person since joining the hermits, but had he changed too much? Would his family still like him?

Mumbo frowned. He stepped out of the bathroom and to his bed. He sat down on the edge of it and looked out the window. 

He wasn’t even 18 yet and he felt like he had so many responsibilities weighing down on him. 

But at least he had the hermits. He knew they liked him, which was a relief. Xisuma had told him that the hermits were nice before he joined, but now he knew it was true. 

He didn’t really have a go-to buddy on the server other than Xisuma. X was often with the youngest hermit, xB. The Admin took care of the 13 year old, and Mumbo had gotten to know him a bit since Mumbo now hung around the Admin more. The boy was kind of quiet at the beginning of the season, but he had begun to warm up to the others. 

Mumbo didn’t really know much about xB and Xisuma’s situation, but he could tell that something had happened to the kid and that Xisuma had saved him. Something like that.

Xisuma didn’t say too much about it, but then again, he wasn’t really open about his past.

Mumbo still had no clue who that man in the red armour was. 

He felt so very clueless on so many things. 

The not-quite-a-man-yet stood up and left his base.

* * *

**_Present Day_ **

* * *

Xisuma and Hels walked towards Etho’s base. Alex had said something about the ninja the night before, but that might have just been a cover. As they walked over there, the knight kept mumbling to himself. Xisuma ignored him, knowing that it was just Hels and Wels talking.

“Why do you think Alex’ll listen to me?” Hels looked towards the Admin.

“Well...I’m not sure. You’re both Nether-accustomed people, and I know you and him are friends...To be honest, I have no clue. I’m running out of options, and I don’t want to lose my brother because of my own actions.” Xisuma admitted.

“Woah, you don’t need to get emotional. I was just asking.” Hels rolled his eyes, but there was something about Xisuma’s words that hit him. 

The two of them reached the base. Foxes peeked around the trees to spy on the visitors. A few ran quickly when they saw the red suit. 

Xisuma was about the knock on the door when he heard a voice behind him. 

“Looking for me, Alex?” 

Xisuma turned around to face the ninja. “Oh! Etho! No, no, it’s Xisuma. Hello.”

Etho lowered his defensive stance. “Oh. Thought you were your brother for a moment.” He laughed. “What brings you and...Wels...around here?” Etho glanced at Hels, who glared back.

“We’re looking for Alex. We were wondering if you’ve seen him? I really need to talk to him. He’s...He’s wearing my green armour, if that helps.” Xisuma explained.

Etho thought for a moment. “Hmm...I haven’t seen him since the other day, but I did see a green armour-clad dude who I  _ thought _ was you early this morning. He was by a Nether portal. I waved to him, thinking it was you, and he didn’t really react.” The ninja shrugged.

“Wait. Where was this portal?” Xisuma asked. 

“It was just one in the shopping district.” 

Xisuma sighed. “Well, that’s just great. Thank you, Etho. That helps a lot.”

Etho nodded. “Is...Is everything alright?”

“I’m not sure anymore.” Xisuma looked towards the sky.

* * *

**_Season 6_ **

* * *

Xisuma knocked on the door to Mumbo’s starter base. Next to him was the newest hermit, Grian. 

Xisuma wanted Grian to find someone he could confide in when X couldn’t be there. Mumbo seemed like a good choice. Xisuma had seen him become a man and create contraptions that still amazed him. Despite that, he was still a very kind friend and would surely be a good fit for G.

Footsteps were heard from the other side, and the door opened. Grian had met Mumbo before very briefly, but Xisuma thought he should meet him more fully.

Mumbo smiled when he saw the two hermits. “Good morning!” He greeted the two of them.

“Morning Mumbo!” Xisuma nodded.

“Morning.” Grian gave a slight wave.

“Mumbo, I was wondering if you’d like to be the one to show Grian around. Let him know what’s what about the hermits, you know? I would do it, but I’ve gotten a bit busy. Besides, I think you two would get along quite nicely.” Xisuma told the tall Englishman.

Mumbo’s face lit up. “Of course! That sounds fun!”

Grian smiled at the man’s enthusiasm. 

“Great! I’ve got to go, but I trust that you can handle this.” Xisuma gave the two hermits a thumbs-up before running off in the direction he had come from. 

“Hi Grian!” Mumbo opened the door wider so that the red-sweater hermit could enter. Grian stepped inside. 

“Hi.” Grian pushed away his thoughts. He wanted to try and be himself again, even if that meant acting fine until he really was fine.

“How’s life on the server been so far? Season 6 hasn’t been running for long, but things have definitely started.” Mumbo asked as he closed the door.

“It’s been fun. Everyone here is great at building.” Grian noted.

Mumbo nodded. “Yeah, everyone’s pretty cool. I heard that you’re a great builder yourself.” 

“I mean…” Grian chuckled. “It’s probably nothing compared to your redstone abilities. Xisuma’s told me about your builds and all that. Pretty impressive.” 

“Aw, thanks! Redstone’s my forte.” Mumbo led Grian to the kitchen. “You want some breakfast? I have some chocolate muffins from Iskall.” Mumbo offered.

Grian sat down at the table. “Sure, that sounds nice.”

Mumbo retrieved two muffins and gave one to the hermit. He sat down in one of the other chairs. 

“You have any plans for this season?” Mumbo asked before taking a bite of his breakfast.

“Hmm...I want to make some things that I’ve always wanted to build, but have never gotten the chance, or the assistance, to do. Might start a war or two, who knows.” The older hermit joked. He took a bite of the muffin. He loved chocolate.

Mumbo laughed. “Sounds like you’re bringing some chaotic energy to the server. I love that.”

Grian smiled. The two sat in silence as they chewed their food. 

“Hey...I know that it might seem like Xisuma is having me be your friend, but...I actually would really like to be your friend. You seem really fun, even though I’ve only known you for a little while.” Mumbo spoke up.

Grian looked at the man. He felt a sense of hesitation inside him. He had just lost his best friend who he had known for almost his whole life. Was he really ready to make friends again? Perhaps. 

Besides, this was just the start of the season. He’d have plenty of time to make friends.

“I’d like to be your friend too.” Grian found himself saying. He felt conflicted. Half of him wanted a friend, but the other half wanted to push anyone away. 

“Great!” Mumbo grinned.

His enthusiasm was infectious.

Grian started to grin in return. “Great!”

* * *

**_Season 2_ **

* * *

Xisuma sat in his room, late at night. He was dressed in casual clothes and he wasn’t wearing his helmet. He had no need for it at the moment. 

He had been feeling down for the past few days. Alex had stopped by, claiming to try and be helping, but Xisuma found that hard to believe. His brother was usually anything  _ but _ helpful.

X still felt terrible for pushing Alex away. 

He sighed.

He heard a knock at the door. 

“Mr. Void?”

Xisuma turned around. “What is it, xB?”

“Can I come in?”

Xisuma looked at his hands. He paused for a moment.

“Sure.” The Admin answered. xB was one of the only hermits who Xisuma had shown his face to. 

The door opened, and a thirteen year old boy with blue eyes and brown hair wearing a black hoodie came in. He approached X and sat next to him on the bed. 

“Are you okay, Mr. Void?” 

Xisuma looked down at the boy. “I...I’m not quite sure.”

The youngest hermit threw his arms around the Admin. “Do you need to talk to someone?”

“Now that you mention it...yeah, I...I think I do.” Xisuma returned the hug. He gave the boy a brief kiss on the head. He felt xB hug him tighter before letting go.

“I wanna help you like you helped me.” 

“I’ve told you about my twin brother before, right?” Xisuma asked.

The hermit nodded his head.

“Alright...Alex came over the other day, and honestly, I don’t know why I did what I did.” 

xB looked over at a framed photo on the wall of two boys and Doomguy. If xB hadn’t known any better, he would have thought that the armoured man was Xisuma. But X had told xB about his father, so xB knew that the brown haired boy was Xisuma. The one with the pale, white-ish hair was Alex.

“You told me about the whole trial thingy, and then you told me about when you met that wizard guy...That’s when you realized that you were on the bad side, right?” The boy looked back over at the man who had taken him in.

Xisuma nodded. 

“Well, if Alex was on trial for doing things against the Watchers, who you now know were the bad guys...doesn’t that mean that he was the good guy?” 

Xisuma stared straight ahead at the wall. He felt like a massive idiot. How did that just  _ now _ become clear to him?

“Oh goodness…” X put his face in his hands. “He-...He really was trying to help.”

xB watched the Admin and heard the soft sounds of him crying. The boy was quick to hug the man again, trying to comfort him. Xisuma lifted his head out of his hands and turned towards xB, hugging him. The boy didn’t like seeing Xisuma sad. 

“It’s okay, Mr. Void. Things will get better.” xB tried to reassure his guardian.

Xisuma cried into xB’s hoodie. 

“Mr. Biffa knew him too, right?” The boy asked, the two of them still hugging.

Xisuma nodded. “Yeah.”

“Could he help you?”

Xisuma thought about Biffa. He was a fellow Admin, assigned to the Hermitcraft server to assist X. Biffa wasn’t a full Admin like Xisuma was since X was the one in charge of the server. 

Biffa was one of his friends, and one of the ones that took pity on Alex during his trial. Xisuma had never understood why until this moment. 

“Maybe.” Xisuma said quietly.

“...you sound tired.” The boy still hadn’t stopped hugging X.

“I am tired.”

“Why don’t you sleep? You’ll probably be able to think more clearly after a good night’s rest.” xB suggested.

“That’s a good idea.” Xisuma let go of the hug finally. He looked down at xB and ruffled his hair. “You should be in bed too, young man.”

The boy smiled. “I know, but I had a feeling you needed a hug.” 

“You were absolutely right.” Xisuma chuckled and wiped his eyes. 

“Alrighty, I’m gonna go to bed now.” xB stood up and went to the door. “Night Dad!” The hermit froze. “I-..I mean, er, uh, M-Mr. Void! Sorry…” xB looked embarrassed. Xisuma stood up and approached the boy, who seemed a tad scared of the Admin at the moment. 

“Did-...did you call me your dad?” Xisuma stood in the doorway with xB. The boy silently nodded.

“S-sorry. You just...remind me a lot of my dad. It was an accident, y’know...like when you call your teacher “mom” on accident.” xB stared down at his feet. He was sure that Xisuma would yell or be mad.

Instead, Xisuma knelt down and hugged xB once again. “I’m so glad that I could remind you of your father. I want you to feel like this is your home, xB.” The Admin felt a sense of pride. 

“R-really?” xB was surprised.

“Wanna know something?” Xisuma let go off the hug and set his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“What?”

“My father, you know, Doomguy? He actually rescued and adopted Alex and me when we were kids. Some rogue Watchers were destroying our Endcity. My parents...did not make it. I don’t really remember them too well anymore, but Doomguy became my new dad. I know what you’re going through. I want to be to you what my father was for me, if you’ll allow it.” Xisuma smiled.

xB smiled and wiped the tears from his eyes as he nodded. 

“Alright...Now run along to bed.” Xisuma stood up and kissed xB’s hair again. 

“Thanks...Dad. I, uh, love you.” xB said quickly before hurrying off to his room.

Xisuma grinned. “I love you too!” He called to the boy before returning to his room. He closed the door behind him and walked to his bed. He looked at the framed photo of him, his twin, and his dad on the wall. 

“I’m like you, Dad.” He said softly to himself before climbing under the covers and drifting off to sleep for the first time in weeks. 

* * *

**_Present Day_ **

* * *

xBCrafted walked through the shopping district that morning. He had seen Xisuma in a new set of armour talking to Wels. He and the Admin had drifted apart as the seasons progressed. When Alex started to show up more and more, Xisuma’s attention was turned to him instead. 

xB didn’t mind it though. Xisuma always somehow knew when he needed help, and he never failed to show up when he was having a hard time. xB still saw him in a semi-fatherly light, but it was more of a private thing between the two of them. He never called him Dad in front of the other hermits, but there had definitely been times, usually late at night, where Xisuma would help him through a tough time, and xB would call him Dad. 

It was this special thing that they shared, even though they weren’t as close as they once had been. 

Xisuma was having a hard time right now. xB could tell. He always could tell. He decided that he would visit the Admin that night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know why this chapter went the way it did, but...it did haha  
> I for reason really wanted to establish xB and Xisuma’s relationship as sort of father/son   
> I imagine Season 2 xB and Xisuma to have a sort of Peter Parker/Tony Stark MCU thing, but if Peter didn’t lose Tony haha  
> This chapter was all over the place and i apologize  
> So many flashbacks  
> But i really want to develop a few more characters   
> Be prepared for a Void bois focused chapter next  
> Ik this fic is about Grian, but I’ve fallen in love with Xisuma’s character and the story I’m giving him  
> Goodness i live for Dadsuma i swear
> 
> Also i saw someone draw him with like, a sort of bun, and a beard today (he still had freckles) and they drew him from behind  
> But now that’s the only way i can imagine him now and i really need to draw this o-o
> 
> Also i love xB and I’m gonna watch his episodes because he’s really underrated-
> 
> Also I wanted to write in a different sort of way for this chapter  
> It’s sort of flashback-heavy, so I’m sorry if it wasn’t your jam haha


	44. The Doctor and The Doomslayer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time is running out...  
> Don’t worry though. Doom is eternal.

**_Season 3_ **

* * *

xB stood in his room inside his base. It was dark and he wasn’t really sure what he was doing. Since the new season, xB had been on his own. He had his own base, rather than staying at Xisuma’s like he had the previous season. 

He was excited to build it, and he was really proud of how it was turning out, but…

He felt alone. The base felt so empty since it only had one resident. He saw Mr. Void often, but it didn’t really feel the same. 

xB laid down on his back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. He wanted to prove to Xisuma that he could be on his own, but he was still a kid and was still very unsure if he could. He always hesitated whenever he thought about telling X about his loneliness. Xisuma believed in him, and xB didn’t want to ruin that.

He laid on the bed for about five minutes when there was a knock at his front door. He shot out of bed and crept out of his room, grabbing a sword for protection. He slowly approached the door and peeked through the window to see who was here so late at night.

A man in green doom armour stood at the door, holding a thermos. xB was both relieved and confused.

The boy opened up the door.

“Mr. Void?” xB lowered his sword.

“Ah, hello xB.” Xisuma said with a smile in his voice. 

“Why are you visiting this late?” 

Xisuma looked at the boy. “Are you having a bad night?” 

xB paused. He was about to say no, but he felt himself nod. He started to cry as he stuttered out a confirmation.

Xisuma stepped forwards towards the sobbing boy and gave him a hug. 

The two stood in the doorway, hugging, for a few minutes. xB finally let go and wiped his eyes with his hoodie sleeve. He looked up at the Admin. 

“How did you know?”

Xisuma smiled, but xB couldn’t see it. “The same way you always knew, I guess….May I come in?”

xB nodded and stepped aside to let the Doomguy through. X took off his boots and set them by the door. He handed the thermos he was holding to xB.

“I brought you some tea.” 

xB smiled and opened up the thermos, inhaling the scented steam that lifted out of the container. He took a sip, surprised to find that it was a perfect temperature. 

Xisuma pulled something out his inventory and leaned against the closed front door as he removed his helmet with one hand. He set it down, holding his breath, before quickly equipping what looked like the bottom part of a hazmat mask. 

“There we go. Now I can breathe without having to wear the helmet, and now you can see me better. It’s not as effective, but I’ll take what I can get.” Xisuma picked his helmet back up and held it under one arm as he walked to xB’s living room. The boy followed close behind. 

Xisuma sat down on the couch after setting his helmet down on the table in front of him. 

“Why not get a helmet like the one Mr. Biffa has?” xB came over to the Admin and sat down next to him. 

“...I think I like being a mystery.” X chuckled. He put his arm around xB, who snuggled in close to the man, sipping tea from the thermos. 

“So...what’s got you feelin’ down?” Xisuma looked at xB.

The young hermit sighed. “I...I don’t like being alone. Normally, I’m fine with it, but...I don’t know. Sometimes I just feel extra alone, and it’s even worse now that I have my own base. I was...scared to tell you cuz you believed in me and thought I could make my own base. I didn’t want to disappoint you.

Xisuma nodded as xB explained. “To be completely honest, I miss having you around. I didn’t wanna tell you because I thought you wanted to be your own hermit.” 

xB closed the cap of the thermos and leaned over to set it on the table. “Really?”

“I guess I’m not used to being alone either. I’ve always had  _ someone _ .” Xisuma answered. 

xB looked at Xisuma, who returned the glance. The Admin smiled. xB could tell by his eyes. The boy hugged Xisuma tightly, not minding the bulky armour. 

“Thanks for coming over, Dad.” xB smiled as he felt the Admin return the hug. 

“I’ll always be here for you.” Xisuma ruffled the boy’s hair. 

“And I’ll be here for you.”

* * *

**_Present Day_ **

* * *

Xisuma and Hels stepped towards the portal that Etho had informed them about. The plume of fire on the back of Hels’ helmet grew slightly brighter as they had approached the gateway to the Nether. Xisuma felt hesitant to go inside. Grian needed his help, but...Alex was his brother.

Hels looked over at the Admin and chuckled. “Are you scared of the Nether?”

Xisuma rolled his eyes. “No. I’ve just got a million different things going on.”

Hels shrugged. “Meet ya inside, nerd.” The knight walked backwards into the portal. 

Xisuma sighed and stepped into the swirling purple vortex. The familiar whooshing feeling brought him to a connected portal in the Nether. 

The heat of the lava and fire felt strangely comforting. It was quite the opposite of the empty cold of the End. Xisuma came here often since Nether portal travel was faster than just traversing through the overworld. He knew his way around fairly well. His father would tell him and Alex stories about fighting the demons in the Nether. Xisuma always admired the bravery of his father.

Hels was standing next to a chest, pulling out armour and weapons. The fire plume was the brightest it had ever been, and the soldier’s eyes glowed orange. His grin was a bit off putting.

“You ready?” Hels looked at the Admin, who nodded in return. 

“If Alex took the Doomsuit, then he might have gone somewhere related to our dad.” Xisuma theorized. 

Hels nodded. “Uh, sure okay. Lead the way then.”

  
  


* * *

“Ugh, we’ve been searching for hours. Are you sure he’s even still in the Nether?” Hels complained. 

“I’m sorry, I thought you liked it better here.” Xisuma faced forwards as they marched through yet another empty build. 

“Yeah, but we’ve done so much walking.”

Xisuma stopped walking. He was holding a crossbow. 

“What’s wrong?” Hels came up next to him. 

Xisuma stared at the wall in front of them. “I don’t know where to go anymore.” He admitted. 

Hels put his hand on Xisuma’s armoured shoulder. “Uh...hey, you should probably head back. I’ll keep on looking for Alex.”

The Nether soldier seemed genuine in his offer. Xisuma slowly nodded. “Alright...if you find him, try to get through to him. If you can, see if he’ll come back to the Overworld.”

Hels gave a thumbs-up. Normally he hated helping people, but there was something in it for him. Plus, the faster they found Alex, the faster he could finally be apart from Wels.

Xisuma turned around and began to exit the way they came. 

Hels took out a pickaxe and mined the wall in front of him. Strangely enough, it didn’t open up to the outside. Instead, it revealed a longer hallway, unfittingly dark. The fire on Hels’ helmet acted as a torch as he entered the new location. 

* * *

Alex was indeed in the Nether. He came here to get away from his brother, and to feel closer to their father. His job was located in the Nether. After he was banished from the End, Alex had found an old hidden headquarters of sorts one day while looking for a place to make his hideout. 

As he had explored the base, it became clear that his father used to use it. He had discovered a room full of his dad’s stuff. Alex never told Xisuma about the headquarters. He was sure that his brother would try and claim it. 

The headquarters must have been in use after Doomguy had adopted the twins since there were a few pictures of the three of them in the room. Alex had cleaned up part of the headquarters and made it his home.

It’s where he found the red Doomsuit that he wore most of the time. He also found an odd animal that he recognized. 

When he had first opened the door, a quick movement had caught his eye. A small creature hopped up onto the desk next to a computer. The sight of her brought a smile to the Ex-Admin’s face. 

He stepped up to desk and pet the rabbit on the head. “Hey Daisy. How long’ve you been in here?”

The rabbit sniffed Alex’s hand and nuzzled against it. Daisy had been their father’s rabbit. Alex’s real concern was how she survived in this room for so long. He always knew that the rabbit wasn’t a normal Overworld bunny. He stopped trying to find a reason after a while. Why try to find a reason for a thing that makes you happy?

Daisy would follow Alex when he wore the Doomsuit. Alex found comfort in that.

This day was a bit different. As Alex walked down the halls of the mostly empty base, he wore his father’s normal suit, the one that Xisuma normally had. When he entered the room, which he had turned into his bedroom, Daisy perked up. She saw the green suit and bounced happily towards Alex. She hopped onto the bed and into his arms.

“Hey little rabbit.” Alex pet her head before setting her back on the bed. He removed his helmet and sighed. When he first moved to the Nether, he couldn’t breathe the air normally. It was easier to breathe than the Overworld atmosphere, but he still needed his helmet or mask. After a while, he started to no longer need the filters. He had apparently adapted to the Nether. The first time he took off his helmet in front of Daisy, she seemed a tad confused. The soldier wasn’t the actual Doomguy, but it was Alex instead. She still followed him around though. 

Alex sat down on the bed next to his rabbit and looked down at the helmet in his hands. He wanted to be Doomguy ever since the soldier had rescued him and Xisuma as children. When X took the suit after their father died, Alex felt like his brother was against him. It didn’t help that it all happened while Alex was on trial. The last straw came when Xisuma showed up to testify in court against Alex. He was wearing the Doomsuit with his purple cloak. Alex had to fight back the urge to cry.

Alex thought that wearing the suit would make him feel better, but it didn’t. He thought that maybe he would feel more like his dad, but he didn’t. He felt more like Xisuma, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about that. 

When he had been banished, he tried to distance himself from his brother as much as he could. Since their father had an American accent, Alex grew up trying to speak like him. The Watchers and Admins around them normally had English accents, which Xisuma adopted. They sounded similar, but after he moved to the Nether, he focused on getting rid of any bit of English accent in his voice. It helped that Alex’s voice was naturally deeper than Xisuma’s. 

It wasn’t like it was difficult to tell the twins apart. Xisuma’s hair was brown and fluffy, kept nice and short. Alex had white hair, which he kept longer and wore in a ponytail of varying length. 

They had the same face though. But as Alex adapted to fit the Nether, that changed too. His eye colour took on a more reddish hue of purple, and so did his freckles. His teeth were slightly sharper, although it wasn’t noticeable enough to make him stand out. 

He doubted that anyone would see him and make the connected to Xisuma, since no one in the Nether knew his twin well enough. The name would tip them off, Alex figured. Void was a very Endish name. It would be hard to blend into the Nether’s society with a name like that. 

He took his father’s name instead. Alex Blaskowicz sounded cooler to him anyways. To be honest, he wasn’t sure what exactly his father’s real name was, but he picked the alias he liked best. Back in the End, the Watchers and Admins would refer to him as Doomvoid, since no one could get him to reveal which of his aliases was the real one, if any. He was a human, and so he didn’t have wings or magic. He did have guns, however. The Watchers had seen what he could do to demons in the Nether, so no one tried to mess with him. 

The Endcity that Xisuma and Alex were from was the Capital. When they were just little kids, a revolt occurred. Rebel Watchers started destroying the houses of Admins and Watchers who supported the Council, which was essentially all of them. Alex and Xisuma’s house was destroyed. Their mother and father hid them away and fought against the attackers, but they were outnumbered.

The twins hid and listened in fear to the massacre around them. Suddenly, loud bangs rang out through the empty space of a sky. Neither boy had heard a noise like it before, but things became very silent quickly after the bangs. Alex remembered hearing the heavy boots of a stranger stepping through the destruction. Xisuma was covering Alex’s mouth so that he wouldn’t scream.

The stranger stopped in front of the desk they were hiding under. The twins covered their heads with their arms in fear. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Alex could see the stranger crouch down. He was wearing a suit of armour that was different than any Alex had seen. It was covered in dark purple blood. The man knelt down when he saw the boys. 

But Alex couldn’t remember exactly what happened next.

Alex, still laying on the bed, sighed once more. His memories kept getting fuzzier. It was getting harder to remember his dad, and he hated that.

* * *

**_24 Years Ago_ **

* * *

The heavily-armoured man knelt down in front of the desk. He peered underneath in surprise as he spotted two young boys cowering. 

“Are you two alright?” The man asked in a voice that sounded strange to the two English boys. 

Xisuma looked at the man. He couldn’t speak. His eyes were drawn to the weapon in the man’s hand. It was mechanical and strange. Everything about the soldier was strange.

The man saw the brown-haired boy’s concern towards the gun. He quickly put it away. 

“I’m here to help. I promise.” The soldier tried to reassure them. He looked up over the desk before returning to focus to the boys.

“Awe the bad peopwe stiww thewe?” Xisuma finally managed to whisper. The man shook his head. 

“The bad people are gone. They can’t hurt you.”

Xisuma nudged Alex, who looked up as his twin took his hand off of his mouth. The boys slowly exited their hiding spot and stood up. Before they could see the scene of death and destruction, the man turned them around. 

“You don’t want to see it. It’s awful.” He spoke softly, but the boys could still hear him. 

“But Mummy’s out thewe!” Alex spoke up. The soldier froze. He looked over his shoulder before kneeling down in front of the small kids. He removed his helmet. 

The man had brown hair with a slight swoop and a square jawline. He had a bit of stubble. He had a few scars that stood out against his tanned skin. His eyes were brown and filled with sorrow.

“I...I’m so sorry, kiddo. But, your parents...aren’t coming back.” The man looked at the boys.

Xisuma was a smart kid. He knew what the man meant by that.

Alex knew...but he didn’t want to believe it.

“No! She and Daddy were right there!” The white-haired boy exclaimed. The man shook his head sadly. 

Alex’s eyes filled with tears. Xisuma stood silently. After a moment, both boys burst out crying. The soldier wanted to help them, but he wasn’t sure what to do. He set a hand on each boy’s shoulder and was about to speak when they ran forwards to hug him. The man fell back in surprise once again. The boys cried onto the bloodstained armour. The soldier put his arms around the kids to comfort them. 

After a few minutes, Xisuma sniffed and pulled away. “But now we don’t have a home…”

“Or a famiwee.” Alex pulled away too.

The man picked them up in his big arms. “I can look after you until this gets sorted out….My name is Doomguy.” 

“Doomguy?” Alex looked up at the man. He nodded.

“...Mr. Doomguy, what happened?” Xisuma asked.

“Those Watchers hurt people. I came here to fix it. Those bad Watchers are gone. I made sure of it. I only wish that I had gotten here sooner. Maybe then, I could have saved your parents.” Doomguy started walking forwards. Only half of the house had ended up getting destroyed. The twins’ bedroom was still intact. Doomguy brought the twins through the open door and set them down on one of the beds. 

“I need you two to stay here while we fix the scene. I’ll come back. I promise.” 

Xisuma squeezed Alex’s hand as he nodded.

* * *

After a while, the man opened the door again. “The Council talked with me. If it’s alright with you boys, could I take you back to my base for a few days while the damage gets repaired?”

Xisuma nodded again. He had only just met this strange man, but he protected and saved them. 

Alex hugged a stuffed rabbit tightly. “Awe you gonna take cawe of us?”

Doomguy nodded and gave them a kind smile. “Yes, I’ll take care of you until-”

“Awe you our new daddy?” Alex interrupted.

The man’s eyes went wide. “Well, you see, I-” He trailed off as he saw the hope in the young boys’ eyes. They both stared at him.

“Do you boys have any other family?”

They both shook their heads.

“Would you rather have me take care of you then a Watcher or Admin?”

They both nodded.

Doomguy chuckled. “Alrighty. I’ll gladly accept the mission...What are your names?”

“I’m Xisuma Void.” X spoke quietly, but with pride.

“I’m Awexanda Void.” Alex looked up. “But Awex is nice too.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Xisuma and Alex.” Doomguy smiled. “The Council gave me some filtered masks so you can breathe in the Overworld.” He stepped towards the boys and carefully put the masks on their faces. 

“The Ovaworld?” Alex hugged the toy bunny even tighter.

Doomguy nodded. “That’s where my base is at the moment. It’s where I’ll keep you for a few days until the Council gives the 10-4 to return.”

“Will you live in the End with us?” Xisuma asked. 

Doomguy thought. “Well, if I’m taking care of you, then I think so. Yes.”

“Can I bring my wabbit?” Alex clung to his plush. Doomguy smiled. 

“Of course. I have a pet rabbit, actually. Her name’s Daisy.” The soldier answered. Alex’s eyes lit up.

“I’ve never seen a weal wabbit before!” He looked excited. 

“Why don’t we gather a few of your things so we can go?” Doomguy asked.

The boys nodded. Maybe things would be alright after all.

* * *

**_ Present Day _ **

* * *

Alex pulled out a box from beneath the bed. Inside it were some memories he wanted to keep safe. He took a worn stuffed toy rabbit out of the box and kissed its head before hugging it tightly and putting it back. In the box were a few pictures of when things were better, and his old Admin cloak. He wasn’t sure why he still had it.

His thoughts were too loud. He needed to drown them out. The man turned to a guitar stand next to the bed where an electric guitar rested. He picked it up and plugged it in. He began playing one of the songs his dad had taught him. His mood improved quickly as his fingers slid smoothly up and down the fretboard. Daisy hopped next to him and looked content as the familiar tunes played throughout the headquarters.

* * *

As Hels walked through the empty halls, a noise began. Quietly at first, but increasingly became louder. It sounded like music. He followed the noise. As he neared the source, the headquarters became less empty. It now looked more like an in-use hideout. 

“Huh.” Hels approached the door that the sound was behind. He did a strange thing for him. He knocked instead of barging in. The guitar stopped. 

After a moment, bootsteps came to the door and opened it. On the other side was Alex in Xisuma’s suit. He had the helmet on.

“Hels?” Alex looked at the Nether knight.

“Ah, yes, hey Alex. Nice place. Hey, can we talk?” Hels got to the point quickly.

Alex was taken back. “Uh...Sure? How did you-...you know what, nevermind. What’s up?” 

“So your brother is worried about you-”

“Let me stop you there.” Alex interrupted his fiery friend. “I don’t want to deal with Xisuma right now.”

“Yeah, but here’s the thing. I promised him that I’d find you.” Hels replied.

Alex removed his helmet and set it on the bed behind him. “Yeah, but here’s the thing. I didn’t want to be found.”

“Understandable, but X promised that I’d get my own body if I found you.” Hels explained.

Alex frowned. “Can he even do that?”

Hels shrugged. “Not sure. If he doesn’t, I’ll burn his house or something.”

The Ex-Admin stared at the knight’s glowing eyes. He didn’t respond.

“Look, man. Xisuma realized how badly he messed up. He wants to fix things between you and him.” Hels added.

“Then why didn’t he come here himself?” Alex shot back, his tone a bit harsher.

“He and I searched for a while, but then I told him to head back. He’s trying to help Grian deal with his divorce or whatever. I don’t really know the drama going on with bird boy.” Hels shrugged. “Point is, Xisuma is making an effort.”

“He had his chance. I tried to fix things between us _EVERY SINGLE SEASON._ ” Alex began to yell. His eyes glowed a tad and a fiery aura started to appear around him. “I tried to help! I tried to tell him how messed up the Watchers were! He never listened! He banned me for trying to be his brother again! He told the hermits that my name was ‘Evil Xisuma’! He tried to erase who I was. So don’t tell me that he wants to make amends. He’s had so many chances. I’m done being his brother.” Alex’s hands glowed with fire. Hels began to feel intimidated. 

“If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be an ‘outlaw’! I might even still have my wings! He took everything from me, and this place is the only place I have left. Now  _ get out _ .”

Hels backed up. “Yeah...alrighty. Got it. I’ll...go. Uh, sorry for interrupting your jams. You’re great at electric guitar by the way!”

“GO.” Alex flared his nostrils and pointed towards the exit. “ _NEVER COME BACK._ ”

Hels backed away. Alex turned and grabbed the helmet and threw it at Hels. “TELL MY BROTHER THAT HE CAN KEEP THIS, SINCE HE’S ALREADY KEPT SO MUCH FROM ME.” There was a hint of his original English accent in his voice.

Hels caught the helmet and ran back the way he came.

“Guess this means I’m still stuck with you.” Hels grumbled to himself. 

Alex slammed his bedroom door and fell onto his bed, tears of frustration and anger streaming down his cheeks. Daisy hopped towards her friend, hoping to comfort him. He looked up and picked the rabbit up into his arms, cradling her as he sobbed. 

* * *

Xisuma stepped out of the portal and made his way back to his house. The sun was already going down. The two of them had been searching for a long time. He opened the door to his base to the sweet smell of something baking. X closed the door behind him and took off his helmet after pushing back the hood of his cloak. His boots were heavy with stones and nether rock that stuck to them. He took those off and set them by the door.

“Hello?” Xisuma walked further into the house. In the kitchen was Grian, wearing an apron and surrounded by ingredients. He had flour in his hair. 

“Hey Xisuma! Did you find Alex?” Grian looked at the homeowner. X shook his head.

“No...Hels is still looking for him.” Xisuma answered.

“Hels…?” The bird was confused for a moment. He shrugged it off. “...I hope things get better.” Grian replied. Xisuma nodded.

There was a moment of silence as the Admin entered the kitchen. “So...what are you doin’?”

“Baking! I made cookies and stuff. Maybe I’ve been watching too many cooking shows.” Grian chuckled a bit. “Would you like one? I’ve got like...seven different kinds.”

Xisuma smiled slightly. “Sure.”

“Great! We’ve got chocolate chip, sugar cookie, snickerdoodle, white chocolate and macadamia nut, peanut butter, ginger snap, and oatmeal chocolate chip. I don’t know how two of these taste cuz...you know. Chocolate.” Grian seemed sad about that. “White chocolate isn't real chocolate, and, uh, I didn’t die when I ate it, so it’s good.” The bird chuckled. 

“I’ll take the white chocolate then.” Xisuma smiled. Grian passed him a plate of cookies. They looked pretty well baked.

Xisuma took one and took a bite. He smiled. “These taste wonderful, G!”

“Aw thanks! I’ve always been pretty terrible at cooking, but I tried following an actual recipe this time!” Grian paused. He was about to sneeze. When he did, a few feathers flew up in the air. G stared at them as they floated down. 

“Whoops.” He smiled.

Xisuma watched the bird’s reactions. He had stopped cringing at his feathers and wings. “I’m...really proud of you.”

“...For sneezing?” Grian looked at X, an eyebrow raised.

“No...I’m proud of you for becoming comfortable with yourself. That’s a big thing, G. You’ve come really far.” Xisuma smiled kindly. 

Grian smiled, his cheeks becoming tinged with red. “Xisuma...that...that means a lot. I’m actually really proud of myself.” The furnace next to him dinged. Grian smiled and put a pair of oven mitts on. He removed another sheet of cookies from the furnace and set the tray on the counter to cool.

“Hey, I’m a mess. Do you mind if I take a shower? There’s cookie dough all over my wings.” Grian raised one of his wings to show the baking mess on them. 

Xisuma chuckled and nodded. “Go right ahead.”

Grian took off the apron and headed upstairs.

Xisuma took another cookie from the plate and absentmindedly ate it while thinking about the situations around him. Things were tough. He wanted to be able to solve all these problems, but that was impossible.

After about five minutes, there was a knock at the door. Xisuma set down his half-eaten cookie and stood up. He approached the door, picking up his helmet and putting it on before opening it. 

On the other side stood a familiar bearded young man. He still wore a hoodie, even through all these years.

xB looked up at Xisuma. “Hey, Dad. Are you having a bad night?”

The Admin couldn’t stop himself from smiling. He nodded and stepped aside to let his boy through. After Xisuma closed the door, he removed his helmet again.

“You always know.” He chuckled. He set down his helmet and made his way to the couch, where xB had already sat down.

“That’s...not your normal suit. Did something happen between you and Uncle Alex again?” xB studied the Admin’s sad expression. The Admin nodded with a sigh. 

“He...I can’t find him. I want to fix things. I want to make it right, but…” Xisuma blinked back tears that had been building up.

“I’m sure he’ll come around…” The young man tried to reason.

“xB...I was the bad guy. I ruined everything for him. And now he’s hiding from me. I messed up.” Xisuma wiped his eyes with his armoured arm. xB quickly hugged the man while he was distracted. 

“You’re trying to make things right. You’re trying to make an effort. That’s a good start, Dad.” xB referred to the Admin as his father. He knew that it would help comfort Xisuma. 

“...xB…”

“Yes?”

“Have….Have I been a good father figure for you? I know I was gone a lot during Season 4 and 5. I’m worried that I wasn’t there for you when you needed me.” Xisuma stared at the lit fireplace in front of them. 

“You were dealing with issues. It’s alright. Whenever I needed you, you were there.” The hermit answered. 

“...Thank you, xB. I’m glad you came by.” Xisuma smiled.

The hermit grinned and hugged the Admin tighter. “No problem. I love you, Dad.”

Xisuma began to feel a bit better. “I love you too, xB.”

There was a crash as something tumbled down the stairs. Both men turned to see what fell. On the floor was Grian, getting up. He looked a bit disoriented. When he regained his composure, he looked at the visitor on the couch. His face turned red.

“Oh my gosh. I am so sorry for intruding, I was just waiting for you guys to be done so I wouldn’t interrupt, but uh...I kinda fell down the stairs. Guess that’s what I get for eavesdropping.” Grian chuckled apologetically. “So I guess I was right about Dadmin, huh Xisuma.”

xB’s eye went wide when he realized that Grian had heard him call the Admin his dad. His face went red with embarrassment.

“Y-you heard?” The young hermit stared at the bird.

“Oh heck...that was a private thing, wasn’t it. Oh my gosh, I’m-...Gah, I’m really sorry!” Grian chirped, trying to make things better. 

Xisuma looked at xB and then at Grian. “You know I rescued him, right G?”

Grian nodded. The hermits were all sort of aware of the situation, but no one really asked more about it.

“Well...I took care of him, like my father did when he rescued me and Alex.” Xisuma briefly explained. 

“Ohhh...That...That makes sense.” Grian nodded.

“C-can you...keep this between us?” xB asked Grian. The bird nodded.

“I won’t tell a soul. Again, I’m so sorry for intruding.” 

xB could tell that Grian was genuine. The hermit smiled. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” He gave the hoodie-clad hermit another nod. “Does that make us somewhat brothers then?” G looked at Xisuma.

X chuckled. “Pssh, if I could, I’d adopt all of the hermits...even though there’s a number of them older than me...well, in ‘human years’.”

Grian paused. “Wait, how old are you, Xisuma?”

“Uh...hold on, let me think...In human years, I’m around thirty...In End years...I’m not sure. I’m older than that, I know. Huh.” Xisuma thought out loud. “I’ve just...stopped paying attention to time.” 

“That’s valid.” Grian replied. The bird took a step towards the couch when there was another knock at the door. 

“I’ll get it, X.” G hopped towards the door instead. He opened it up, a warmth appearing. Wels stood on the other side, but he looked strange. His eyes were orange and his helmet was on fire. 

“Hey, bird nerd, is Xisuma here?” The knight asked, his voice sounding a tad distorted. 

Xisuma stood up from the couch and rushed to the door. “Hels! Is Alex with-” the Admin halted to a stop when he saw the soldier alone. The visitor shook his head. 

“He refused  _ pretty loudly _ . He doesn’t wanna talk to you. Threw this at me to give to you.” The knight handed over the helmet from the original Doomsuit. Xisuma took it and stared down at it in regret.

“It’s...worse than I imagined. Oh goodness. I need more help.” X couldn’t take his eyes off of the helmet. “Thank you Hels. You tried your best.”

“Sweet, does this mean I get my own body now?” 

Xisuma sighed. “Yes. I’ll have to deal with that later though, I hope you’ll understand.” 

“Yeah yeah, I figured. Cool. Well, hope things get better. I gotta go-...I-...AUGH GO AWAY!” Hels snapped at himself. “UGH. Wels wants control. I better go.” The fire on the helmet began to dim. The soldier flinched, the fire disappearing completely. 

“OH GOSH. That was not fun.” He looked back up at Xisuma and Grian. The bird looked very concerned. 

“Alrighty, Xisuma. I’ll see you later.” The knight stepped back and waved. 

“Thank you once again Wels and Hels.” The Admin nodded as the soldier made his leave. X closed the door and walked into the living room, holding the helmet in his hands.

“I’m...I’m not even going to question what’s going on with Wels.” Grian tried to shake away his confusion.

“Grian...do you still have my cloak?” X looked up at the bird. He nodded and pulled it out of his inventory.

“Yeah, here.” 

The Admin took it and put it on. “I need to try again.” He said.

Grian glanced at xB, who looked very concerned.

“Dad- Er,... Mr. Void. What are you doing?” The young hermit stood up.

“I need to get Biffa. He tried to fight for Alex in the trial. If Alex doesn’t listen to him, then...I don’t want to think about that.” Xisuma put the helmet on and switched out his Strider cloak for his watcher one. 

“You’re leaving now?” xB watched the Admin as he retrieved his boots. He put them on and stood next to the door. 

“I need to act now.” Xisuma put the hood of the purple cloak on.

Grian could see the worry in the young man’s eyes. 

“Xisuma. Let me go with you.” Grian stepped forwards.

“Grian, you have your own problems.” X shook his head.

“I’ve got time! I need to help you! You helped me, and I want to help you in return. Please.” Grian willed himself to his hero size and stood confidently. 

“...xB...Tell Joe and Scar that they’re in charge until we get back…Make sure people don’t start wars.” Xisuma looked at the young hermit. He nodded and saluted the Admin. 

“Got it!” 

“Grian, are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Xisuma smiled slightly. He felt better knowing that he had a trusted friend to be by his side.

“Then we better get going.” Xisuma opened the door. Grian quickly grabbed his shoes and put them on before exiting the house. He popped his head back in for a second.

“Hey, xB! Help yourself to some cookies! I made...wayyyyy too many. Better share them with the others.” Grian laughed and popped back outside. Xisuma turned to look at xB. They shared a nod.

“I love you, xB.”

“I love you too, Dad. You can count on me.”

Xisuma gave him a thumbs-up before leaving and closing the door behind him.

Grian was standing outside, looking up at the dark clouds in the night sky. “So...where are we going?”

“To the End. Biffa returned there a while back. I’m...actually really glad you’re coming with me. I’m not the most well-liked back there anymore.” Xisuma started to walk away from the house. Grian followed. 

“It’ll be faster if we fly.” Xisuma looked up at the tall man. A pair of purple wings appeared on the Admin’s back, despite the armour and cloak that the man wore. 

“Lead the way.” 

* * *

Mumbo stood in his headquarters. He paced back and forth, speaking to himself. He wanted to listen to Xisuma, but something in him wouldn’t let his problems go. He liked to believe that he would get better and recover from his fall to semi-madness, but there wasn’t enough time. Time was quickly running away. He never had enough of it. By the time he would be well enough to face Grian, the bird’s time would be up. 

“Tick tock...tick tock…” He muttered to himself, deep in thought. “I need...time. I’m running out of time.” 

He had gathered all the clocks in the HQ and brought them to his workshop. He hung them up all over the walls. They all ticked and tocked in a rythym that synced with the man’s heartbeat. It was steady and consistent. He needed something like that to hold onto. He needed something to just stay consistent. 

Grian’s time was running out. Mumbo wasn’t sure if he could even face him anymore. What if he finally exited the HQ, and it was too late? What if he fixed the lift, and Grian saw him before he was able to become even a fraction of his old self he had lost. 

Mumbo’s thoughts were pulled to the previous season. During Area 77, Grian had used a time machine he built. He remembered how Grian kept telling Ren and Impulse that it shouldn’t be used to fix personal past mistakes. Grian always said this with a sad tone in his voice. Mumbo was sure now that Grian was telling himself that as well. Grian couldn’t use the time machine to fix what happened with Taurtis.

Time was feeble. Mumbo knew that. But...Grian didn’t know what would happen...right? Mumbo stopped pacing as an idea came to him. 

“I...I could build a time machine...I could build a time machine!” He exclaimed. A grin spread across his face. “It’s perfect! I’d never run out of time!”

Grumbot sat outside the workshop, trying to hear what his father was saying to himself. When the roboticist suddenly yelled out in joy, Grum’s heart dropped at the words. A time machine wouldn’t solve his problems. It would mess everything up even more.

Mumbo ran to his workbench and pulled out a fresh blueprint. “Oh, I can make it like the TARDIS! Oh, I’ve always wanted to be like the Doctor!” He couldn’t contain his glee. He drew lines in white coloured pencil with precision.

Mumbo thought back to the BBC show he adored. Time travel was always so fascinating to him. 

He began to speak to himself again as he drew the plans. “What was it he said? Time’s not linear...it’s a bunch of wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey  _ stuff _ . Yes.” 

He pulled out materials he would need. There was a knock at the door. 

“Come in!” Mumbo sang.

The door opened and Grumbot came inside. “Dad...time travel isn’t the answer.”

“...Yes it is! I can fix everything! I can make everything right!”

“Dad. That’s now how it works! You’re going to mess up the present! What if we don’t exist anymore?” Grum approached his father. Mumbo turned around to look at his son. 

“I promise that I will build you. I’ll make sure of it.” Mumbo smiled.

Grum shook his head. “Dad. You need sleep. You’re not thinking rationally.”

“Grumbot! What  _ is _ rational? Time’s running out, and I’m not going to be able to meet the deadline. I need to fix what I’ve done!” Mumbo set down his pencil and stared at his boy’s synthetic tear-filled eyes. 

“You’re spending all your time focused on the wrong things! Please!” Grum pleaded.

Mumbo sighed and shook his head. “I need to do this.”

“At least go sleep. Please. Just...rest for a few hours.” The robot boy took his father’s bandaged hand.

Mumbo stood up. He turned to look at his plans one last time before getting dragged out of the room by his son. 

“I-...Alright. Fine.” Mumbo gave in. “I’ll sleep. But I’m still going to build the time machine.” 

Grumbot knew he wouldn’t be able to change his father’s mind. 

The living room was filled with Hermitbots, as well as Mumbo’s robot family. It was lively, despite none of them being truly alive. 

As Grum pulled his father out from the workshop, he was greeted by different bots. Mumbo smiled and said hello as Grum took him to his bedroom. He opened the door. Sitting on the ground next to the bed was Circuit and Griandroid. They looked up as they heard the door.

“Hello, Mumbo.” Griandroid waved. His greeting brought a smile to the roboticist’s face. Circuit looked at his dad, worry in his face.

“Here. Circuit wanted to talk to you.” Grum told his father. Griandroid stood up and walked over to the door. He came up to Mumbo and gave him a hug that lasted a few moments longer than it should have. When he let go, he gave Mumbo a dorky grin and headed out of the room. Mumbo said a brief goodbye before stepping into the room. Grumbot stood in the doorway still.

“I’ll let you two talk.” Grum smiled and closed the door as he left.

Circuit looked up at his father as he approached him. “Hi Dad…”

Mumbo sat down in front of Circuit on the floor. “What’s going on, Circuit?”

The one-eyed robot paused for a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking up. “I’m essentially just...you...right?”

“Well...yes.”

“Will I go crazy too?” There was genuine worry and fear in the boy’s voice. His tone reminded the roboticist of his younger self. 

Mumbo hesitated. “Circuit...you’re not human. You...you can’t really go crazy...I-...Are you worried that you’ll turn out like me?” Mumbo’s heart hurt at the realization. 

Circuit looked away, ashamed. “N-not exactly. I’m...I just don’t know if I am my own person. I know I wasn’t originally intended to be your son. ‘Melia and I were just going to be helper droids. But then you made us your kids. But...Sometimes I still feel like I was only built to be of assistance and not to be your kid.”

Mumbo didn’t know how to respond. He wasn’t aware that Circuit felt this way.

“What...what are you saying?” 

“Remember when you asked me whether I felt like you treated me like your kid or as a machine? I said as your kid...but...sometimes I do feel like just a machine. Jrum and Sahara are the babies, so you cuddle and kiss them a lot. Grum reminds you of Grian, and he’s the most ‘human’ out of the five of us. Amelia’s helpful and was special because she was your first daughter. I’m...I’m just here. I’m just you, but young.” Circuit rambled.

Mumbo tried to make sense of the words. “You...don’t feel like a new person?”

Circuit nodded. “Y-yeah.” 

The roboticist studied his son’s sorrowful face. “I’m...Oh goodness, I’m terrible again, aren’t I?” 

Circuit looked at his father. “N-no!” He scooted closer to his dad. “You aren’t! You’re just preoccupied a lot!”

Mumbo shook his head. “I’m a failure of a father.”

“If you’re a failure, then that makes me a failure too.” Circuit looked at his father in the eyes.

“You are not a failure!” Mumbo looked up at his son, almost appalled that the boy would say such a thing.

“Yeah! And neither are you! I’m you, Dad! And we’re not a failure!” Circuit took his father’s hands.

Mumbo looked at the boy’s face. He brought back memories of the happy kid that Mumbo had been. Mumbo took his glasses off and slipped them onto Circuit’s face. The boy didn’t protest.

The mustachioed man smiled at his son. “You...you’re…I-...” Mumbo couldn’t find the right words. “Hold on a moment.” 

He pulled a notebook out of his inventory and began sketching in it with a pencil. Circuit waited patiently as his father drew. When the man was finished, he turned the book so the robot could see.

“What are your thoughts on this girl?” Mumbo asked his son. Circuit looked at the drawing. The girl in it had wavy hair and freckles. She looked around highschool age, and there was a smile on her face. The precision in the lines told the robot that his father had drawn this girl a number of times before, but the few eraser marks told him that it had been a while since his father had drawn her. She was quite pretty and the drawing elicited a response from the boy. 

“I-...I mean…She’s really, uh, pretty.” Circuit didn’t know why he was stuttering. His face felt weird and warm.

Mumbo let out a laugh. “Oh my goodness. You-...you really are just younger me.”

Circuit blinked, and took off the glasses. “I-...Who’s that girl?”

Mumbo got very quiet. His eyes took on a softer feel as a sweet smile came to his face. “Her name’s Natalie...she was my girlfriend back in highschool.” He chuckled as he reminisced. “Oh, goodness. Before we really met, I would just doodle her as I watched her from across the room in French class.” Mumbo spoke softly. Circuit looked at the drawing again and then at his father.

“You programmed me to respond like you would. That’s why I thought the girl was pretty, right? Because you did?”

“I...I guess...I wanted to see me in you. At least, the good things.” Mumbo sighed. “I’m sorry, kiddo. I should have made you be your own person...with Amelia, she sort of is, since she acts much more mature than I did at your guys’ age. She’s not me...but you are.”

Circuit took his father's hand. “Maybe...Maybe it’s a good thing that I’m you. Maybe I can help remind you of the good. You made me to be the good in you. Maybe I just gotta show it.”

Mumbo smiled. “...How’d you get so smart?” 

Circuit chuckled. “You know that you’re just calling yourself smart, right?”

Mumbo snickered. “Yeah.” 

Circuit grinned and hugged his father tightly. As he hugged him, he spoke up. “Did you love her?”

Mumbo hugged his son back, but froze at the question. “Hm?”

Circuit let go. “Did you loooove Natalie?” He asked in a teasing tone. His father’s face went red. 

“I-...Well, I-...Now,...” He began to stammer. “Well, as a matter of fact, yes. Yes I did.” Mumbo finally managed to say.

Circuit smiled, but it faded. “What happened?”

Mumbo faltered once more. “B-between me and Natty?” His son nodded. 

“...I left without saying goodbye. We didn’t break up...I just...When Xisuma asked me to be a hermit, I was very excited. My parents agreed to it, and I packed and left the next day. I was so excited that I...I forgot to say goodbye to her. Or even tell her what was going on...Oh goodness.” Mumbo put his face in his hands. “We were gonna go to Uni together. We were gonna study Redstone and become professors. We had a plan. People looked at us and thought, ‘Yes, they are the perfect couple. They have their lives planned.’” The roboticist looked up. He was crying now. “If things worked out, we were going to get married!” He sobbed into his hands. Circuit felt awful for bringing it up. 

“D-Dad?”

“I ruined it all! I’m a disappointment, aren’t I?” Mumbo looked at his son, his vision blurry from the tears in his eyes. 

Circuit shook his head. “Dad, just because you ended up taking a different route than planned doesn’t mean you’re a failure! If you hadn’t come to Hermitcraft, you never would have made all these friends! You wouldn’t have met Grian! You wouldn’t have built me and the other kids! You didn’t ruin it...you were excited. I don’t think Natalie blames you. I don’t feel like she would...even though I barely know anything about her.”

Mumbo wiped his eyes. “...You’re right.” He nodded slowly. “That’s not the mistake I need to fix. It’s my more recent ones that I need to fix.”

Circuit knew his father was building a time machine. Grum had communicated through their network to tell the others what Mumbo was trying to do. Circuit wasn’t as human-like as his brother Grum. It was harder for him to fight back since his primary purpose was to assist Mumbo.

There was nothing he could say. 

“You should fix your sleep schedule first.” Circuit gave his father a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before standing up. 

“If you believe I should, then I probably need to.” Mumbo chuckled and stood up. He ruffled the boy’s hair and gave him a kiss on the forehead. 

“I love you Dad.”

“I...I love you too, Circuit.”

“Does that mean you love yourself?”

Mumbo paused. “...Y-yes.” He lied.

Circuit knew he was lying, but he didn’t push it any further.

“I’ll let you get some rest.” The boy began to step towards the door. 

“W-wait...Can you...Do...I…” 

Circuit turned around. “You want me to stay here?” 

Mumbo nodded. Circuit smiled and stepped back over to his father. 

“Alright.” 

Mumbo took off his lab coat and set it on a hook by the bookshelf. He kicked off his shoes. Circuit looked at his own attire. 

“Dad, do you have any other clothes I could wear? I...wanna try something different.”

Mumbo looked over at his son. “Oh, uh...we’ve got some stuff left over from the hermitbots…”

Circuit nodded and rushed out of the room to get the clothes. Mumbo stepped into his bathroom to brush his teeth. When he was done, Circuit came back in the room. He was now wearing a long sleeved shirt with striped sleeves with a Metallica t-shirt over it. He wore a pair of black trousers and some socks with parrots on them. He was grinning. 

“I look like I shop at Hot Topic.” He snickered. Mumbo smiled at his son’s outfit. 

“But it was really cool to try something new. I like being my own person.”

Mumbo stepped towards his son and gave him a hug. “I like you being your own person too.”

The roboticist took his hair out his ponytail and shook it out. “I need a haircut.” He sighed jokingly. Circuit sat on the edge of the bed.

“At least the hobo beard is gone.” 

“Hmm...true.”

Mumbo sat down on the bed, his back against the pillows. 

“Dad...can you tell me about Natalie? And when you were a kid? I wanna know about you.”

The roboticist smiled. “It’ll help me fall asleep...yes...We’ve got time.”

* * *

**_ 10 years ago _ **

* * *

Mumbo sat at his desk, waiting for the bell to ring and for class to start. He had his notebook on his desk in front of him, open to his French notes. His sketchbook was in his lap, open to a blank page. He readjusted his glasses as they slid down his nose. 

The chatter of the classroom wasn’t quieted, even when the bell rang. Mumbo glanced up across the room at the most interesting thing in the room. Natalie Nightingale, the kindest and sweetest girl Mumbo had ever met.

Well, he hadn’t officially met her yet. He couldn’t muster enough confidence to talk to her. She was one of the “popular girls”, but she wasn’t like them. She wasn’t rude or snotty like the other popular kids. She was nice and helpful. 

Mumbo felt a dorky smile appear on his face as he watched her laugh at a joke her friend Jenny told. He could hear her laugh even through the classroom noise. Mumbo had a crush on her, but he knew it was silly. She was...simply too far from where he was. 

Mumbo doodled her laughing in his sketchbook while the teacher gave instructions for the homework that Mumbo had already done. He looked up at Natalie when he finished the doodle. She was working on the assignment, unaware of her admirer. Mumbo rested his cheek on his hand, watching Natalie mouth the French vocab from this unit. Jenny glanced up and nudged Natalie’s arm, whispering something to her friend. Nat looked up and made eye contact with Mumbo. She smiled and gave him a friendly wave. 

Mumbo’s heart skipped a beat as he looked down at his notebook, pretending to work. His face grew hot and his heart was racing. He wrote lines in French in his notebook, trying to look busy. After a minute or two, he could feel someone standing in front of his desk. The teacher allowed the students to get up and move around for group work, and so it wasn’t strange for someone to come over to his empty group to grab a chair or something like that. Mumbo sat by himself in the back of the class at the extra group since he didn’t have any friends in this class. 

The person didn’t take a chair and go like usual. Instead, the person sat down and waited and looked at Mumbo. Finally, the boy glanced up to see who was there. 

“Hi!” Natalie’s sweet voice sang like a songbird.

Mumbo tried his best not to panic. “I-...Uh,..I ...h-hi!” He stammered, his face red. Natalie smiled. 

“I couldn’t help but notice you all alone here.” She told him. Mumbo felt relieved that she hadn’t said that she couldn’t help but notice him staring at her.

“Y-yeah, I like to work alone in this class.” Mumbo spoke quietly. 

“Your name is Mumbo, right?” Natalie asked. Mumbo’s heart fluttered with joy. She knew his name!

“Yeah!” He smiled.

“My name’s Natalie.” She extended her arm across the desks. Mumbo quickly wiped his sweaty hand on his pants and shook hers. 

“I know! I mean, I-...uh, well, uh...nice to meet you!” Mumbo stuttered.

“Likewise! I’ve seen your work for the Robotics Club. You’re amazing at Redstone!” Natalie replied.

Mumbo wasn’t sure if his face could get any redder. “Not as amazing as you! How come you’re not in Robotics anymore?” His smile was wide. 

Natalie chuckled. “Debate Club and Theatre take up too much time, sadly. I might join again soon though! To be honest, Debate’s not my thing. Plus, it would be cool to work with you!” 

Mumbo nodded. He closed his mouth as she looked at him. He ran his tongue over the gap between his teeth and shrunk down in his chair. He never liked how his teeth looked. 

“I’ve also heard that you’re an artist.” Natalie mentioned. 

Mumbo stopped thinking about his crooked teeth. She knew so much about him…

“Kinda...I mainly draw plans and designs for the Robotics club and for Redstone contraptions I wanna build. I sometimes draw people, but…”

“Could I see? If you’re comfortable with sharing it with me, that is! I don’t wanna force you to do something you don’t wanna do.” Natalie seemed genuinely interested.

Mumbo looked down at his sketchbook. He quickly flipped through it past pages and pages of Natalie doodles. He felt like such a weirdo. He finally found one he drew of a robot. He hastily turned the sketchbook around to show her. 

“I like robots.” He said, instantly regretting how dumb he sounded. 

“Oh wow! That’s amazing! The detail is perfect!” Natalie gushed. Mumbo felt that dorky grin come back to his face.

“Thank you…” He smiled with pride. 

“You captured me perfectly!”

Mumbo faltered. “I-” He flipped the sketchbook around to find that he had turned to the wrong page. The drawing he had just shown Natalie was indeed a robot, but it was a robotic design of her. Mumbo started to panic. 

“I’m sorry! I-...I d-drew you, and I, uh, I do it sometimes and well, you’re right there and I...I’ll stop drawing you so much!” He apologized quickly. She looked confused for a moment. 

“Drawing me...so much? You’ve drawn me more than once?” 

Mumbo was pretty sure this couldn’t get any worse, so he just handed her the sketchbook. “You can look through it.” He beat down and pretended to be getting something out of his backpack under him. He heard her flipping through the pages. He finally sat up straight. She was smiling as she looked at his art. Her cheeks were tinged with pink.

When she got to the end of the book, she handed it back to him. “I’m really flattered, oh goodness. You’re…you’re such a sweet boy.”

Mumbo had not been expecting that response. “I-...huh?”

“I have a question, if you don’t mind. I know you look at me a lot from across the room. You doodle me a lot too...you got really flustered when I came to talk to you…”

Before she could ask her question, Mumbo flipped to a page in his notebook and ripped it out carefully. He folded it up and handed it to her as the bell rang. 

“Here. Don’t read this until this weekend. I know what you’re going to ask, and I’m hoping this will answer it.” He stood up and gathered his things. He avoided eye contact with her as he did so. 

“Alright! I’ll see you later then!” She took the note and watched as Mumbo hurried out of the classroom. 

Natalie put the note in the pocket of her overalls. She would read it after school, since Friday counted as the weekend once school was out. 

Mumbo felt like an idiot. Had he really just given her the note he wrote? He had considered giving it to her so many times before, but he always chickened out. It was hard for him to focus the rest of the day. 

That weekend, Mumbo worried about what would happen come Monday. She’d laugh at him, wouldn’t she? No...she wasn’t like that. He was scared of being rejected again. He hadn’t exactly had the most successful experiences with telling pretty girls how he felt.

It was Monday morning. Mumbo sat with his friends in the cafeteria. He tried to ignore his panic. 

“Mumbo?” 

He didn’t look up from the laptop his friend was holding. One of his other pals lightly knocked him upside the head.

“Yo, Mumbo, she’s talking to you.” His friend said in a hushed whisper.

Mumbo slowly looked up. Natalie stood there, holding a folded piece of notebook paper.

“Could I talk to you outside for a moment? If you’re not busy, that is.”

Mumbo’s heart raced. He nodded and stood up. He’d never stood close enough to Natalie to realize the drastic height difference. She was a pretty short girl, only around 5’2 or so. Mumbo was 6 feet tall, and he was still growing. He looked down at her as she smiled and started to head outside. He followed. The cold morning air was refreshing compared to the stuffy warmth of the cafeteria. She led him to a semi-private area next to the cafeteria.

“Mumbo...I read your letter.” She began. “I thought it was very sweet and thoughtful.”

Mumbo braced himself for rejection. “But?”

“Hm? No, no! There’s no ‘but’!” Natalie smiled. Mumbo blinked in confusion. 

“W-wait, you...you liked my note?”

Natalie nodded with a smile. “You noticed things about me that I wasn’t sure other people noticed, in a good way, of course. See, most guys would just be like ‘oh you’re so pretty’ and all that. But you...you called me pretty, but you also called me kind and nice. You called me helpful and smart. That means a lot to me. I much rather want to be called kind than to just be called pretty. Your note meant a lot, Mumbo.”

Mumbo stared at her, eyes wide. “I-...I’m really happy it did!”

“And it answered the question I was going to ask.” She added.

He felt himself blush again. He stood awkwardly. Natalie hopped up onto the concrete planter box next to them. Her face was closer to his eye level now. He turned to her. 

“I noticed there was a question at the end of the note that you scribbled out. Something about if I wanted to have lunch with you sometime. Well…” she leaned closer to him, a smile on her face. She quickly kissed him on the cheek, grinning as she pulled away. “I would love to. How does today sound?”

Mumbo put his hand where she kissed, his face redder than Redstone. He looked at her, his dorky grin once again returning. 

“Today sounds perfect!” He smiled wide, not caring about his teeth for once. 

“Great! I’ll see you in French then!” Natalie turned to leave, but paused. “Actually, wait! I have something for you!” She handed him the folded paper. “I drew you.” 

She dashed back into the cafeteria before he could react. He stood by himself, holding the paper. He decided to unfold it and see.

On the paper was a pen drawing of Mumbo, holding a redstone block and smiling. He smiled so wide, his face hurt. 

He had a date with Natalie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty. This is the longest chapter yet. It’s very exposition heavy. It’s mostly because I’ve been developing these backstories for these characters that I’ve just been dying to put out there. As I was writing this, I realized that I knew nothing about Doom other than like...3 things. So I kinda winged it. I went with Blaskowicz for Alex’s claimed last name bc that connects him to B.J. Blaskowicz which connects it to Wolfenstein and Commander Keen, which connects to Galactic.  
> Okay, it’s funny that I made Daisy essentially like an immortal rabbit (because DANG she’s old for a rabbit) because she actually...dies in the first Doom game rip  
> Grian just....baking all these cookies, even chocolate ones... mAN  
> xBabeycrafted over here yes   
> I’m so hyped  
> OKAY SO  
> Mumbo’s gone a bit...cuckoo...get it? Like the clock?  
> Imagine that one part at the end of Hamilton where Alex’s like “I’m running out of time, I’m running and my time’s up! Wise up! Eyes...up!”   
> Yeah that vibe haha
> 
> Okay but that whole scene with Circuit was completely unplanned  
> I promise that the robot kids will get their own chapter next, but I still wanted to give Circuit some more screen time since Fool, er...I mean Amelia, got more of it  
> I liked the idea of him being like a reflection of mumbo’s younger self. I like him being this reminder of the childish wonder that Mumbo had, and reminding Mumbo that it was still a part of him.  
> But in the same regard, I like Circuit also deciding he wants to try and be his own person, starting with the clothes he wears. It’s not really what he chose that’s important. It’s more the fact THAT he chose. He decided for himself.  
> Also, idk why, but the idea that Mumbo could mention something from his past and Circuit would involuntarily react the same way that kid Mumbo would have...it’s just...cool  
> Hehe natalieeeee  
> It’s quite funny because I named her Natalie, and then I was thinking about how she looks, and I realized that she was just Stress (and then I remembered that Stress’ irl name is Natalie...i think?)   
> But then I finally got around to drawing her. If you’ve ever seen the Pixar short “Paperman” (if you haven’t, I highly recommend it! It’s adorable!), I based her off of the girl from that short. And then I drew her a few times and realized that I accidentally made her look like my friend Natalie who was in my french class last year.  
> Legit, I only included the flashback to highschool mumbo because I really wanted to share this super cute dorky awkward relationship that makes me super happy. I know it doesn’t quite fit in the story, but it makes me really happy, and it might be important later, who knows.  
> Yeah, in my head, his highschool is just my highschool haha  
> And his French classroom is just the one I had last year  
> And the cafeteria and yard and such are all the same as my high school whoopsie lol  
> (We don’t talk about that fact that I loosely based the thing between Natalie and Mumbo off of this boy I liked in eighth grade whoops except haha role reversal-)  
> I think I like giving these characters these girlfriends or people in their past that made them so very happy, but then things go wrong. Not with the people themselves, but with the situations everywhere else  
> And so it’s like...man...I could have had this life if only this other thing hadn’t happened.  
> Btw, I based Doomguy off of the fiancé from Wreck-It Ralph (the one that got eaten by that alien bug?)   
> I mean, he WAS based off of Doomguy and Master Chief
> 
> The reason that Alex has an American accent is because when I was reading FW on stream, I gave him like...a Sans voice  
> And so i made that his canon voice  
> So yeah  
> He sounds like Sans  
> NO WAIT  
> He specifically sounds like DJSmell’s Sans voice (look him up, it’s so good. He did the original Sans Stronger Than You parody)
> 
> Also, I wasn’t sure how to quite make it so that when Doomguy comes and saves the kids, it’s semi-realistic in their response  
> I probably didn’t do a good job, but the whole “hha you’re a dad now” thing makes me super happy, so hehe  
> Man these are the longest notes I’ve ever written for this fic  
> Btw guys, I appreciate everything y’all comment  
> It makes me so happy  
> I love reading those SUPER long ones that talk about specific things  
> Those make my heart go “woOOO”  
> But legit, all y’all’s comments make me smile so very much
> 
> If parts of this chapter seem out of place, or don’t connect well  
> It’s cuz i never proofread whoops  
> And because I just had a lot I wanted to say in this chapter  
> There was a lot I needed you guys to know.
> 
> Thank you guys! If you read all these notes....you’re the real MVP


	45. The Robot Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I'll shake the apples from my family tree  
> So when the autumn comes to take the leaves  
> We'll write history books from memory  
> That we shared and will forget
> 
> No, I don't remember 2012  
> But I heard the world would turn to hell  
> And compared to that, well I'm doing well  
> So I pray to God it really did
> 
> Well they always ask you not to leave  
> And I am as they remember me  
> So when all my friends forget my name  
> No, I won't come back and be the same
> 
> No, I won't come back and be the same  
> And I'm gonna be my self again”
> 
> “Well if winter comes and takes my life  
> Will it be the death I had in mind?  
> Or will I be captured in the ice  
> To preserve the way I died?
> 
> Well at 27 will I see?  
> That I was born to be the man I'll be  
> And if I change my self can I still stay me?  
> Or did I just change my mind?
> 
> I am a point in time and space  
> And I am the truths that I create  
> And so where my matter takes its stand  
> No it doesn't matter who I am
> 
> No it doesn't matter who I am  
> And I'm gonna be-”

Circuit woke up that next morning in his father’s bed. He rubbed his eye as he recalled the previous night. He looked to his right to see his father sitting on the floor against the side of the bed, asleep. He must have put Circuit in the bed and passed out down there. 

Circuit smiled as he remembered the stories his father told him. To see his dad gush about someone he had loved brought hope to the young boy’s mechanical heart. His old self was still in him. 

The robot boy slipped out of the bed and went over to where his father was. He easily scooped the 6’5 man up in his metal arms and placed him on the bed. He tucked the roboticist in and gave him a kiss on the forehead before exiting the bedroom, turning the lamp off on his way out. 

Circuit entered the living room to find it full of the Hermitbots. Circuit was happy to have more friends, but he definitely missed when it had just been the kids, Griandroid, and Mumbo’s family. 

Circuit scanned the room to find his other father. He spotted Griandroid with “Iskall”. He stepped through the groups of bots to the winged machine. Griandroid looked up when the boy approached. He smiled when he saw his new outfit. 

“Good morning, Circuit!” Griandroid greeted the boy.

“Morning, Dadroid.” Circuit smiled. He gave the Iskall robot a pleasant nod as he stood up to let the two of them talk. Griandroid waved to the robot.

Griandroid patted the seat next to him on the couch for Circuit. The one-eyed robot sat down and pulled at the ends of his sleeves with his hands. 

“How did it go last night?” Griandroid asked. 

“It went really well! I think we’re making progress! And I got new clothes.” Circuit looked down at his band T-shirt with a smile.

“That’s really great to hear!” His robotic third father smiled. 

The kids used to not like Griandroid. He was originally built to be a replacement for their father, Grian. Griandroid wasn’t trying to be a replacement though. He was just doing what Mumbo built him for. Once Grumbot had accepted Griandroid, not as a replacement, but as an additional father, the other kids followed suit. Even though he wasn’t the real Grian, he was the second best thing they could get. He was obviously different from the real Grian though. Just like the kids, Griandroid couldn’t outright refuse Mumbo. They were programmed to help him, Griandroid more so than the others. Even if he wanted to tell Mumbo that an idea of his was bad, he physically could not. 

Griandroid was much more physically affectionate to the kids than real Grian was. The kids all knew it was because the robot was missing the anxiety and flaws that made the real Grian real. Griandroid never got embarrassed when the kids were affectionate back. Circuit missed that about his father. He often tried to see if he could make Griandroid mess up and be embarrassed. He just wanted that semblance of human flaw in this machine of a father. 

Griandroid reached out to Circuit for a hug, which Circuit promptly gave. He cuddled up against the red sweater as Griandroid hugged him tightly and gave him kisses on his head. Circuit smiled and gave his robotic father a kiss on the cheek.

“I love you, Dadroid.” 

“Aw, I love you too, Circuit!” Griandroid ruffled the boy’s hair. 

“Alrighty, I’m gonna go clean up Dad’s workshop. Grum told me it was a mess last night.” Circuit stood up and gave his father a wave before heading towards the clock-filled room. 

On his way over there, he passed by Jrumbot. Circuit stopped and nudged his little brother. 

“Hey, try and see if you can break Dadroid. You know how.” Circuit winked, but it just looked like he blinked.

Jrumbot’s eyes lit up. “You can cownt on me Kitty!” He skipped over to the couch. The baby climbed up onto the couch and crawled onto his robotic father’s lap.

“Hiya Dadwoid!” Jrum giggled cutely.

Griandroid grinned at the sight of the baby. “Hey sweetie!” He gave the boy a couple of kisses on the head before hugging him tightly. Jrum hugged back. The mechanical man had a heartbeat like a clock. 

When Griandroid let go, Jrum looked up into his father’s eyes. “I wuv you!!” He sang. Griandroid smiled lovingly.

“I love you more, baby bot!” Griandroid booped his nose. Jrumbot loved the attention, but he had a mission.

“I wuv you da most!” He stood up on his father’s lap and kissed him on the forehead. If Jrumbot had done something like that to the real Grian, it would have made G blush in embarrassment. Griandroid simply grinned joyfully.

“Dadwoid, I wike your wings!” Jrum pet the feathers. They were a mix of Grian’s feathers that were left all over the HQ and synthetic ones that Mumbo had made. “They’we pwetty!” 

“Aw thank you, Jrum!” The robot chuckled.

Jrumbot frowned. “I gotta use da big guns.” He mumbled to himself. 

“Daddy! Can I have another sistew or bwofer?” Jrum asked innocently.

“I don’t know if your Papa should build another kid yet. Maybe someday though, honey.” Griandroid answered smoothly, completely unfazed. 

“...Daddy, do you wuv Papa?” Jrum decided to ask. Griandroid smiled. 

“I do. I love him very much.” 

“Hmm...awe you gonna mawwy him?” Jrum quickly followed up.

“I’d love to, but I think his heart’s saved for human Grian.” Griandroid said. Jrum looked up. He had heard a sliver of sadness in his robot father’s voice. He was getting somewhere.

“What about when Bird Daddy becomes a fuww birdie?” 

“Mumbo will need time to heal.”

“What about afta dat?”

Griandroid kept the same smile. “We’ll see.”

Jrum frowned. He better try something else, even if it was mean.

“Do you fink Papa wuvs real Gwian mowe than he wuvs you?” The baby asked.

“Well, of course…” Griandroid’s smile faltered. 

“What if he doesn’t wuv you?” Jrum suggested.

“W-what makes you say that?” Griandroid tried to keep his smile.

“I don’t know...It doesn’t seem wike he actuawwy wuvs you.” Jrum felt bad saying these things, but they seemed to be working.

“...R-really?” Griandroid’s smile faded. He thought back to the previous night. He had hugged Mumbo, but the roboticist hadn’t really returned the gesture. Griandroid’s cheerful demeanor dropped. He looked down at Jrum’s sandaled feet on his lap. 

“Oh…” 

Jrum had gotten a more human response out of Griandroid, but...it wasn’t really the one he hoped to have gotten. Jrum watched the robotic man, realizing how awful he felt. Something wet hit his sock, causing Jrum to look down at his feet. His robotic heart almost broke when he realized what he’d just done. He’d made his father cry.

“D-Dadwoid! I’m sowwee! I didn’t mean it! Papa wuvs you! He weawwy does! I pwomise!” Jrum threw his little arms around Griandroid. The man didn’t move or react to the boy.

“D-Daddy? Awe you okay? I’m sowwee!” Jrum bent down to look at his face. Griandroid stared blankly down, synthetic tears dripping from his eyes, onto his glasses, and sliding off. 

Jrum sat down all the way on his father’s lap and gently shook his arms, trying to get him to react. The robot did not do so.

Jrum was scared of the damage he had just caused. He shook his father’s arms again, this time more panicked. 

“P-pwease Daddy! I’m sowwee for saying dat! Pwease stop cwying!” Jrum pleaded. But still, Griandroid did not react.

Jrum looked around him. Hermitbots were doing their own things. 

“Hewp me! My Daddy won’t answew!” He cried out, fear in his voice. He started to make sobbing noises, a tearless cry. 

The Hermitbots all turned to Jrum, a programmed worry in their actions. 

Griandroid faltered when he heard the cries of the baby. His own problems suddenly felt so minuscule. He looked up at Jrum, who was sobbing into his red sweater. Griandroid looked at the Hermitbots, all ready to help assist the baby. He gave them a nod, telling them that he’d handle the situation. They backed off and tried to return to their earlier actions, but watched the two robots from the corners of their eyes. 

Griandroid hugged Jrum closely in an attempt to comfort him. 

“Shhhhh shhhh it’s alright Jrum. It’s okay. You didn’t mean it. I’m not mad, baby bot.” He softly told the boy. Jrum started to calm down. He looked up at Griandroid. 

“But I made you cwy…” Jrum wiped his eyes, but there were no tears to wipe. 

“And that made _you_ cry.” Griandroid pushed Jrum’s fluffy hair out of the boy’s eyes. 

“...Can we go to my woom?” Jrum asked quietly. He didn’t like all the eyes watching them. Griandroid must have felt the same way, for he nodded and picked up the baby in his arms, and made a swift exit to the kids’ room. 

Once inside, Griandroid closed the door behind him and sat on one of the beds. He stroked Jrum’s hair and kissed his head as he did so. 

Jrum pulled away from Griandroid. “...I was twying to make you cwy.” He felt ashamed of himself.

“I-...why?” The robot man didn’t understand.

“Cuz you’we neva sad, and that’s not weawistic…” Jrum looked away from his father. “I was twyna make you get aww wed-faced wike birdie Daddy gets when he’s happy and stuff but you didn’t...so I twied making you cwy...I’m sowwee…”

Griandroid was surprised. “I-...You _want_ me to be like the real Grian? I thought you didn’t want a replacement.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want a Daddy who onwy feews one emotion.” Jrum whispered.

Griandroid scooted back on the bed so he was against the headboard. He laid down more and held Jrum close as he played with the boy’s hair. 

“I didn’t think you would like it if I acted too much like him…” Griandroid replied. 

“It wouwd make me miss him wess if you were wike him.” Jrum listened to the tick-tock of Griandroid’s mechanical heart. The man kissed the baby’s head.

“I’ll try to be more human for you, baby.” Griandroid promised. “I...I kind of shut off that part of my programs when I learned that you all didn’t want a replacement. I..I’ll need to reset myself.” 

He closed his eyes and Jrum heard the ticking of his heartbeat stop. After a moment or two, it began again. Griandroid opened his eyes.

“I, uh, turned my ‘human’ emotions back on…” He tried to smile.

Jrum turned so that he was facing his robotic father. He had a huge grin on his face. He scooted up and gave Griandroid a number of sweet little kisses on his cheek. The man laughed happily in response. 

“Can I ask a good question fwom befowe again?” Jrum asked Griandroid. The robot man nodded. 

“Daddy, do you wuv Papa?” Jrum waited for the response. Griandroid began to smile stupidly. His face became tinged with red as he looked away. Jrumbot even thought he saw little hearts in his pupils.

“Yes. Very very much. I know he built me to love him, but...I do very much.” Griandroid said with a dorky grin on his face. 

Jrumbot pressed himself against his father’s chest. “Yay!” He giggled happily. “I wuv you Daddy!” 

Griandroid kissed Jrumbot on the head. “And I love you, my widdle baby boy.” He rubbed his nose against the boy’s nose and grinned. 

There was a knock at the door. 

Griandroid looked at the door, but didn’t sit up. “Come in!” 

The door opened and in came a barely-awake Mumbo. He stopped walking when he saw Griandroid cuddling the baby. 

“Oh! Hello, G and Jrum! I, uh...was looking for Grum, but I guess he’s not in here.” Mumbo explained.

Griandroid sat up and set Jrum next to him. “Um...Mumbo, dear, could you, uh, take a seat real quick?”

Mumbo was confused, but did what he was told. Griandroid scooted in close to him and cuddled up against the roboticist, giving him a hug. Mumbo was not expecting this. 

Griandroid looked up at Mumbo’s face. Mumbo was concerned about how red his face looked.

“Uh, Griandroid, are your systems overheating?” Mumbo leaned back as the robot scooted closer to his face. There was a huge smile on Griandroid’s face. Mumbo’s heart skipped a beat as he recognized that expression. It was the same face he would make when he was in highschool and Natalie would talk to him.

Griandroid chuckled and gave the roboticist a long kiss on the cheek. Mumbo suddenly felt very awkward. When Griandroid pulled away and gave Mumbo a lovey smile, Mumbo realized how weird this was. 

“I love you Mumbo.” Griandroid nuzzled against Mumbo. The roboticist stood up suddenly. 

“I need to- I...uh...TIME MACHINE!” Mumbo pulled away from Griandroid and quickly ran out of the room. 

Griandroid stared at where Mumbo had just been sitting. He was silent for a very long time. 

“D-Daddy? Awe you okay?” Jrum reached towards his robotic father. Griandroid turned around, tears running down his face. 

“You were right, baby. He doesn’t love me.” The robot man whimpered and pulled the boy to himself and rocked back and forth, hugging the baby, trying to comfort himself.

Mumbo had created the problem, but once again he didn’t want to have to deal with it. 

* * *

Circuit entered the workshop, expecting to find it a mess like Grum had said. To his surprise, it was tidy inside. Standing in the middle of the room holding a broom was the robot of Zedaph. As he heard the door open, Zedbot turned around.

“Hey Circuit!” He smiled. Circuit gave him a wave. 

“Hey.” Circuit stepped into the room. “Did you clean up the workshop?

Zed nodded and set the broom up against one of the workbenches. 

Circuit smiled. “Alrighty, cool. Thanks! I guess I’m not needed in here after all.” Circuit turned to leave.

“Hey, wait!” Zed called to him as the boy was about to exit. 

“Huh? What is it?” Circuit turned to face Zedbot.

“Wanna hang out?” Zedaph asked.

Circuit paused. It was a strange request. The hermitbots usually would interact amongst themselves and not really bother the kids. Kit wasn’t sure what to say, but he didn’t want to be rude.

“Uh...sure.” Circuit shrugged. 

“Great! So, how do you feel about flying?” Zed turned to a workbench and picked up a blueprint. 

“Flying?” The boy was confused. 

“Yeah! I drew up some plans for a trebuchet to launch someone really far.” Zedaph held up the plans. Circuit got a good look at the precise white lines on the blue paper. 

“How would that even fit in here?” The twin looked up at the blonde bot, who shrugged in reply.

“Not sure. But, it’s cool, isn’t it?” 

“I mean, yeah!” Circuit smiled. 

“Wanna help me build it?” 

Circuit looked over his shoulder at the open door. He could see the living room filled with Hermitbots. Tango and Impulse were laughing mechanically about something.

“What about your friends?” Circuit asked, referring to the duo in the living room.

“They seem too fake.” Zed sighed. Circuit took a step back. 

“Wait...what do you mean by ‘fake’?” 

“They’re not the real Tango and Impulse. They’re just robots programmed to act like them. Whoever built them did a pretty poor job. I mean, _I’m_ just a robot of Zed, but…” 

Circuit looked at the robot in front of him. He had more personality than any of the other Hermitbots. The twin found it to be refreshing. 

“You know what? Sure. I’ll build with you.” Circuit smiled. Zedbot grinned.

“Sweet! I’ll grab the materials!” Zed turned and gathered up items from a shulker of blocks. When he finished, he looked back at Circuit. “Alright. Should we do it here?”

Circuit thought for a moment. In that moment of silence, the ticking of the clocks sounded louder than ever. It began to make the boy very uncomfortable. 

“Um…let’s do it somewhere else. Dad will probably come in soon to work on his thing.” Circuit made his way to the door.

“It’s the clocks, isn’t it? Yeah, that’s kinda weird. Why keep ALL the clocks in one room? Like, I know we’re robots with internal clocks, so we don’t really need them, but still.” Zedbot laughed as he followed Circuit out of the room. 

* * *

  
  


John Jumbo stood in a room by himself. He paced around, speaking out loud to himself, much like his brother would do, but with less insanity behind it. He started to recite a monologue to no one. He never had anything to do in the HQ, so he passed the time by acting out scenes of plays and podcasts. 

The monologue he chose here was a particularly loud one. He exclaimed the lines with force and dedication. He was in the zone. 

There was a knock on the door that pulled him out of character. John approached the door and turned the knob. 

Standing on the other side was John’s youngest niece, Sahara. She looked up at him. 

“Awe you mad at someone?” She asked innocently. John chuckled. 

“No, no, I’m just acting. Playing pretend!” He knelt down to speak to the little girl. She swayed her arms back and forth as she stood there.

“By yoursewf?” 

John nodded. “Sometimes it’s nice to play by yourself.” 

Sahara looked at her feet. “Oh, okay…” 

“Did you want someone to play with?” John tilted her chin up gently with his hand. She nodded.

“I’ll play with you, Sahara.” John smiled. He picked the baby up and went down the hallway to the children’s playroom. Sahara clung to John as he walked with her. 

Once inside the room, he closed the door behind him. He set Sahara down on the rug and sat down next to her. 

“Alrighty! What do ya want to play?” John asked the girl.

Sahara stood up and went over to a chest. She pulled out a pair of fake glasses and a fake mustache. She went over to John.

“Pwetend.” She handed him the items.

“Okay!” He smiled and put the glasses and mustache on.

“You can be Mama and I can be me.” Sahara told her uncle. 

“You want me to be Mumbo?” John looked down at her. She nodded. “Got it.” John nodded too. He cleared his throat and did his best impression of his younger brother. Sahara slightly smiled. She climbed onto John’s lap and snuggled against him.

“Can I have a hug, Mama?” Sahara tugged on John’s sweater vest. He inhaled sharply when he realized what Sahara wanted. She just wanted attention from Mumbo.

“...Of course, sweetie…” John picked her up from his lap and cradled her close. She let out a contented sigh. John looked down at her sadly. 

He dropped his impression. “Sahara, do you miss your mom?” 

The little girl looked up at him. “...kinda.” 

John set her back down on his lap and took off the glasses and mustache. He set those aside and ruffled her hair. “Why don’t you go and ask him to play with you then?”

Sahara shook her head. “He’s too busy...He fowgets about me…” The baby sniffed. 

John frowned. Mumbo wasn’t okay, and now he was neglecting his children? 

“Do you want me to talk to him for you?” John asked. 

She shook her head again. “N-no...Can you stay and pway wif me?” Sahara looked up at John.

“If that’s what you want.” John smiled. “But if you want a hug, you don’t need to play pretend to ask for one.”

Sahara pushed her glasses up and wiped her eyes with her arm before hugging John. Her glasses fell onto the carpet. 

“Fank you.” Sahara let go. 

“Of course.” John smiled and picked up her glasses. He slipped them back onto her face. 

“Can we pway somefing ewse?” Sahara asked as she stood up and walked to the toy chest. 

“Anything you want.” John answered.

Sahara reached in and pulled out a few dolls and a pony toy. She came back over to her uncle and dropped the toys in front of him. She sat down and picked up a princess doll. She handed it to him.

“You can be Pwincess Piston.” Sahara told him. He took the doll with a smile. 

“I’m gonna be Pwincess Piper.” She giggled and handed him the pony. “You can awso be Dwagon, the Pwincesses’ magic tawking horsie.”

John took the pony toy as well. “I’ll do my best.” He said in a funny voice. She giggled again. It felt nice.

* * *

Grace Jumbo walked through the living room full of Hermitbots towards the broken lift. Amelia was waiting at it, inspecting the smashed control panel. 

“Dad said he was gonna fix it.” Amy looked up as she saw her aunt approaching from the corner of her eye. 

“Mumbo says a lot of things.” Grace seemed to be on the same page as her niece. 

“I’ve tried doing it myself, but I’m afraid to touch it in case Dad goes a bit cuckoo again.” Amelia sighed.

“What’s gotten into him?” Grace looked over her shoulder over the living room. 

“I...I don’t know. We used to be happy…” 

“He bit off more than he could chew and didn’t realize until it was too late.” Grace looked back at Amelia. Her niece nodded sadly.

“Hey, Amy, how about we make lunch for your father?” Grace suggested. Amelia smiled. 

“Sure.”

Grace smiled in return and led Amy to the kitchen. “I’ll get it started. Sit at the counter and I’ll tell you when you can help.” 

Amelia nodded and sat at the counter facing her aunt as she pulled out ingredients. 

Grace looked up at her niece. “Hm...I wonder why he only gave you one eye.” 

Amelia put her hand on the metal plating covering the left side of her face. “Grum said that it was cuz Dad’s insecure about his eyes or something.” She answered. Grace nodded in confirmation.

“Ah, yeah he was...or I guess still is? Huh. Yeah, when he was a kid, he got glasses because his eyes were slightly crooked. Same with his teeth. He refused to get braces though, for some reason.” Grace told the girl. 

“Maybe he got better though, because when he built Grum’s new body, he gave him crossed eyes and a gap between his teeth.” Amelia replied. 

“I really hope so.” Grace started. “Mumby was bold and outgoing, but when it came to his teeth, his eyes, or pretty girls, he would shut down. It’s good that’s he’s found some way to feel better about it...and I know that building robots is his way of coping, but...I’m certain it’s gone too far.” 

Amelia nodded. She turned to look at something in the corner of her eye. Waddling up to the counter was the absolute chonk of a chicken, Charlie. He normally spent his days sleeping and eating, staying away from Mumbo and his insanity. He was rarely seen out of the room that the kids had put together to simulate the outside for him. It wasn’t realistic enough for the kids to feel like they were outside, but it was good enough for the chicken.

Charlie flapped his way up onto the chair next to Amelia and began to peck at her leg. She looked down at him with a small laugh.

“Hey Chuck.” She pet his head. 

The chicken clucked back at her. Amelia thought for a moment, her processors taking a second to translate the birdspeak. It had been a while since she had done it, but she downloaded a language datapack in her files for when her father was learning the language. She still sometimes heard him practicing it when he was alone. She had hoped that maybe that meant he was still himself, but he was slipping.

Amelia whistled back a hello. Charlie had become used to people speaking to him in his language. 

Charlie hopped onto her lap and poked his head over the counter. He clucked something along the lines of “food?”.

Grace looked up at the chicken and smiled. She, on the other hand, didn’t know birdspeak. 

Amelia translated for her. “He asked if that’s for him.” 

Grace looked down at the food she was preparing for her brother. “Do chickens eat BLTs?” 

Amelia giggled and leaned over the counter to grab a spare piece of sourdough bread. She tore it into pieces and gave some to Charlie, who gladly pecked it up from her metal hand. 

“So, Mumbo was learning the bird language so he could talk to Grian after he transforms?” Amy’s aunt asked, cutting up lettuce. 

Amelia nodded. “Yeah, but...I’m not sure if he ever plans to leave this HQ.”

Grace could see the sadness in her niece’s expression. “Hey...it’s gonna be okay. Things are gonna get better...and if they don’t, then we’ll make them get better...Now c’mon, help me cut everything up.”

Amelia smiled slightly. “Alrighty.” She picked Charlie up off of her lap and set him down on the chair once she stood up, leaving the remaining bread pieces in front of him. She came over to the other side of the counter and began to help her aunt.

* * *

Grumbot was seated at a desk, pen in hand and paper in front of him. On the paper, he wrote a journal entry. For some reason, when he first started writing, he could only write in all caps. It was difficult, but he was able to get himself to write normally. He figured it must have been some coding left over from his time as a big robot who communicated through messages printed in all caps. 

Grum had so many things that ran through his mind. He kept most of them to himself, but he found it hard to think when he didn’t put those thoughts somewhere. Hence why he began keeping a journal. It didn’t follow any sort of organization. Some pages were just filled to the brim with questions, a few often repeating in bold pen. Some pages had doodles of his family, but when things were better. He wrote letters to his fathers that he would never deliver, songs about his thoughts that he would never sing, and hopes that he held dear but knew could never become true. 

He often dreamed of becoming human. A silly hope for a robot, but a hope nonetheless. When he was lonely, he would power off and let himself dream of flying through the sky with his father, his other father flying close behind with mechanical wings of Grum’s own design. Powering back on only brought him back to the sad reality that he might never see either of his fathers as themselves again. 

Today’s journal entry was about his creator’s plans for a time machine. He wrote his worries, but started to repeat them over and over on the paper, filling up a few pages with the same couple of sentences. With his right hand, he forced his left one to stop writing, and he sat back in his chair. He ran his tongue over the gap in his teeth and fidgeted with the sweater he wore. He glanced at the photo on his desk. It was the framed picture of his fathers that Grian had given to Jrum. Jrum let Grum keep it on his desk, but the little baby would often come in and sit on the floor with the picture, tracing their faces with his finger. It made Grum sad.

Grum knew that he was originally nothing more than just the sum of his fathers. He knew that as he became more “human”, he would become more like them. As per their tendencies, Grum kept a lot of his problems to himself. The people he relied on to talk to now were his siblings since his fathers had become so very distanced from each other and their own selves, Mumbo more than Grian. 

His siblings knew as much as he did about their fathers. He wanted someone who knew more to speak with. A couple of times, he had the idea of asking his grandparents, but he never went through with it. 

Grum sighed and stood up, closing his journal, but not bothering to put it back in the drawer like he normally would. Grum stepped towards the door and opened it to the hallway. He peeked out and felt a relief when he didn’t see anyone. He noticed that the more secluded Mumbo kept himself, the more introverted Grum himself got. He wished it wasn’t that way.

The boy slipped out of the room and softly closed the door behind him. He walked down the hall towards the sounds of the hermitbots. As he entered the living room, he kept his eyes open for Mumbo’s robotic parents. He saw Amelia and Aunt Gracie in the kitchen, making food. He stepped forwards, almost getting rammed into by Zedbot, who pulled Circuit behind him. 

Grum sighed and walked through the Hermitbot groups. He spotted Mr. and Mrs. Jumbo sitting at a table that was distanced from the other robots, talking to Scar3P-O. As Grum approached the table, Scar looked up. Grum made a motion towards his grandparents, to which Scar gave an understanding nod. He stood up, gave the Jumbos a wave, and left Grum with them.

Grum sat down where Scar had just been.

“Hello, Grum, dear.” Mrs. Jumbo smiled and reached across the table to take the boy’s hands. She gave them a tight squeeze, to which Grum responded with a smile. Mr. Jumbo grinned. 

“Hey there, son.” He greeted the boy.

Grum felt welcomed by them. They _were_ his family...technically. 

“Hi...Can I talk to you? It’s about my dad.” 

Delilah and Justin exchanged a worried glance before looking back at Grumbot. 

“Of course, dearie.” Mrs. Jumbo replied. 

Grum took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing. 

“Was he ever like this as a kid?” Grum started out by asking. 

“Like what?” Mr. Jumbo asked for more clarification.

“Y’know...anxious...really bad at facing his problems...introverted?” Grum listed a few examples.

Mr. Jumbo thought about the question. “Now that I think about it...yes and no.”

Mrs. Jumbo jumped in. “Your father was normally anything but introverted, but there were a few times where he had a breakdown from stress and anxiety. He was a big procrastinator, always focusing on what he wanted to do rather than what he needed to do. I think that habit has carried with him to adulthood and...and gotten much worse.” 

“...I see.” Grum felt panic tug at his heart. “I’m scared because, well...I’m his kid, and I know I’m just a robot, but I fear that I’ll become like him in the bad ways. My brother Circuit also has felt this way, and I just want everything to be okay-” His voice broke as he started to cry synthetic tears. Mrs. Jumbo hopped out of her chair and came over to the other side of the table to sit by Grum and comfort him. Mr. Jumbo got up and did the same, a little less quickly than his wife since there were a few chairs in his way. 

“I don’t want him getting hurt.” Grum turned to look at Mrs. Jumbo, who nodded sadly and gave the boy a hug. “Why does he have to be so stupid.” He cried into her cardigan.

Mr. Jumbo set a hand on Grum’s shoulder. The boy looked up. “He may be acting stupid, but you’re smart enough to know that you kids can save him.”

Mrs. Jumbo nodded. “We may be his parents, but we’re not his _real_ parents. We’re just copies he made to cope. We can only be so much like the real thing.”

“But you kids are original. You are yourselves, and you don’t need to be like anyone else. If anyone can snap his back to reality, it’s you and your siblings.” Mr. Jumbo added.

Grum wiped his eyes with his sweater sleeve. He knew they were right. 

“Thank you…” 

His grandparents smiled. 

“Of course, sweetie.” Mrs. Jumbo gave him a kiss on the cheek. Mr. Jumbo gave him a pat on the back and a smile as he nodded.

“I’m gonna go talk to him.” Grum decided, standing up. He gave the two robots a nod and headed to the workshop to wait for his father. 

It was quiet inside the workshop when there was no roboticist at work. The only sound came from the incessant ticking of the clocks on the walls. Why did they own so many?

Grum sat on one of the swivel chairs, waiting for Mumbo to enter. He’d been waiting for a couple of minutes when the door swung open violently. The roboticist hurried into the room, his face red and his body tense. The door slammed behind him. He didn’t seem to notice Grum sitting in the room. He was muttering to himself, his hand on his right cheek.

Mumbo began to work instantly. Grum felt his worry worsen. He stood up and hesitantly approached his father. As he got closer, he could hear a bit of what he was saying to himself.

“Tick tock, tick tock, I’m such a fool.” He mumbled, hunched over a toolbox.

Grumbot lightly set his hand on his father’s shoulder. The man flinched and turned around very quickly. He looked shaken up, but he relaxed a bit when he saw that it was Grum.

“Oh...Grum, it’s...just you. Hi.” Mumbo blinked a few times and nodded before turning back around.

“Dad-” Grum tried to start.

“I’m….I’m a bit busy now, Grum. I can’t talk right now, I don’t have time.” Mumbo tried to wave his son away.

That hurt Grum’s mechanical heart. 

Grum tried again. “Dad, please, I need to-”

“Grumbot! I’m busy!” Mumbo stood up, still not facing his son.

“Do you even have a plan?!” Grum cried out.

Mumbo froze. He slowly turned around. “No! But you didn’t have a plan either, Grian!”

Grum took a step back. He saw that his father was crying. Grum could feel his own eyes tearing up. 

Mumbo watched pain fill up his son’s expression. He inhaled sharply.

“W-wait, Grum, I-...I’m sorry-, I didn’t mean that to you, I-” Mumbo started to ramble as he stepped towards his son.

Grum ran towards Mumbo and embraced his father in a tight hug. Mumbo, who was already standing unstably, fell over onto the floor. 

Grum fell with him, still holding on. He cried onto his father’s labcoat and couldn’t help but feel like they had done this before. This was not the first time Grum had to try and stop his father from himself. 

Mumbo recovered from the shock and looked down at Grum, who held tightly onto the roboticist. The redstone man hesitantly put his arms around his son, gradually hugging him back. 

“I’m so so sorry-” Mumbo muttered to Grum quietly. 

“Dad, you don’t need a time machine to fix things.” Grum looked up at his father with sad eyes. 

“Grum...you can’t stop me this time. You don’t know the guilt and pain I feel for putting you children through all of this. I pray that you never will.” Mumbo responded.

“But Dad...what if I don’t exist anymore?” Grum tried to reason. 

“Grumbot, dear...I will never forget to build you.”

“But I won’t be myself!”

“Yes you will! I’ll make sure of it!”

Grum sat up, letting go of his father, and shook his head. “N-no, you see...these experiences made me who I am.”

Mumbo stayed silent. He didn’t know how to counter that.

Grum searched his father’s face for some semblance of the happy Architech that built him. 

“Dad...what’s the real reason you’re doing this? I don’t think it’s to fix any problems. There’s something else, isn’t there?” Grum asked quietly.

Mumbo shook his head. “No. It’s the problems.” 

“You’ve gotten pretty bad at lying.” Grum stated.

Mumbo tried to answer again, but stopped himself. He thought for a few seconds. He looked down at his hands in shame.

“I’m scared.” He whispered so quietly, he might as well have just mouthed the words.

“W-what was that?” Grum scooted closer, making sure to be slow in his movements.

“I’m...I’m scared.” Mumbo spoke a bit louder, loud enough for Grum to hear.

“...of what?”

“So so so much.” Mumbo messed with the bandages wrapped around his palms. “I’m scared of losing you kids. I’m scared of myself. I’m scared of getting older. Of-...of growing up.” 

Grum took his father’s hands. “Why?”

The broken man looked up at his son’s face. “I should already be grown up, shouldn’t I? But I don’t feel like I am. But I’m scared of getting older...I’m less scared of the actual aging part and more scared of...of changing. What if I outgrow you kids?” 

Grum tried to keep eye contact but it was hard to look at his father’s eyes without wanting to cry.

When Grum didn’t say anything, Mumbo continued. 

“Because I’m going to get older and change. But you won’t...You can’t grow up…”

Grum nodded. “I-...I know...but maybe you should focus on the present.” 

Mumbo shook his head. “I can’t. It all moves too fast now. If I can’t fix my problems in the past, I can at least see where I went wrong…” He stood up.

“Dad...why did you look so distressed when you ran in here?” Grum stood up as well and addressed one of the other situations.

Mumbo’s face reddened at the reminder of what happened. He shook his head quickly and turned to face his tools. 

Grum wished he could talk to someone without them shutting him out. The boy sighed and began to walk towards the door when it opened a bit and Jrumbot ran in. He ran towards Mumbo, and if he could cry, he definitely would have been.

“Papa!” Jrum cried out as he ran past Grumbot. 

Mumbo turned around, now looking very panicked. 

“Papa, you made him cwy!” Jrum looked up at his tall father.

“I-...I w-what?” Mumbo blinked a few times as he felt his breathing quicken.

“You made him cwy and now he’s sad!” Jrum looked distraught. 

Grum stepped towards his younger brother. “Made _who_ cry?” 

“Gwiandwoid…” Jrum looked over at Grum, his expression almost one of betrayal. 

Grum looked at his father, who put his hand up to his own cheek, his face still red. Grum could see the panic in his eyes.

Grum picked up Jrum and turned to leave, giving Mumbo one last confused look. Mumbo avoided eye contact and turned around again. 

Jrum struggled in Grum’s arms. “But Papa needs to apowogize!” He tried to tell his brother.

Grum shook his head. “He needs to be alone….Where’s Dadroid?” 

“In our bedwoom” Jrum rested his head against Grum’s shoulder as he made his way down the hall.

When Grum opened the door to the kids’ room, he spotted Griandroid laying on his side on one of the beds, his back facing the door. He didn’t look up when the door opened.

Grum slipped inside and stepped towards his robotic dad.

“Dadroid...are you okay?” With his free hand, Grum reached towards the robot. 

Griandroid looked up over his shoulder at Grum, synthetic tears streaming down his face. “He doesn’t love me. He built me for the sole purpose of supporting and loving him, and then he rejects when I do that purpose. I’m so confused.” His voice was shakey, and he cried the last bit. 

Grum was about to reply, but Griandroid spoke up again. 

“Why did I turn on my emotions? All it did was get me hurt. I’m this close to just...shutting them off forever.” He looked back down at the wall.

Grum set Jrum down on the bed. The little baby climbed over Griandroid and put himself in front of his father. Grumbot knelt down next to the bed and set a hand on Griandroid’s shoulder. 

“Dad’s not doing alright. He’s not himself, and he’s not acting like he normally would. He stuck in his head and hasn’t really been regarding anyone. I don’t think he meant to hurt you…” Grum trailed off as he felt a bit of deja vu. Hadn’t Grian flown off when Sahara told him she loved him? It was a bit ironic that now Mumbo was doing the very thing he yelled at Grian for doing. 

Jrum nodded and looked into his robot dad’s eyes. “Yeah! He’s a wittle cwazy wight now.” 

Griandroid pulled Jrum up to his chest and held his tightly as he sat up.

“Maybe I overreacted...maybe I just...didn’t respect his boundaries. I’m sorry.” Griandroid wiped his eyes with his sweater sleeve. 

“It’s okay, Dad.” Grum stood up and leaned over the bed to give Griandroid a hug. The robot leaned into the hug, holding Jrum in his arms. When Grum let go, Jrumbot chirped up.

“Do you wanna pet Gewwie? Dat wooshawee hewps me feew betta.” 

Griandroid nodded. Grum smiled. “I’ll go get her for you.” 

He exited the bedroom in search of the cat.

Griandroid had to admit that the boys made him feel a bit better. He hugged Jrumbot and felt his programmed father instincts kick in. He smiled as Jrum craned his neck up to kiss Griandroid on the chin. Maybe he didn’t need Mumbo’s love to be happy. He was loved by his kids. Maybe that was enough.

After a few minutes, Grum came back into the room holding a fat and lazy cat. Grum brought her over to the bed and set her in Jrum’s arms. Griandroid pet Gellie as Jrum held her. 

Grum smiled when he saw the lift in Griandroid’s mood. He was about to turn to leave when a thought came to him. He instead walked over to the other side of the bed and sat down next to Griandroid. The robot looked up at his son with a grateful smile. He put his arm around Grum and pulled him close next to him. Grum buzzed happily and snuggled up against his dad’s sweater, pretending that he was tiny like his little brother. He did so much to help his family, but never really focused on making himself happy. So he took this opportunity to feel better, if only for a bit.

* * *

Mumbo worked faster than he ever had before. He couldn’t risk slowing down. The present would seep in if he slowed. He focused on the build. He focused on the ticking of the clocks, keeping him in time. 

“Tick tock…” He mumbled over and over in a tune familiar to him. 

“ℸ ̣ ╎ᓵꖌ ℸ ̣ 𝙹ᓵꖌ” He muttered in Galactic.

_Tick tock_ , He whistled in Birdspeak.

“tIqDu'” He said in Klingon.

“Je ne vais nulpart.” He grabbed a wrench. 

“Tempus currit de est; sed non sum agnus dei esse bene. Non sum agnus dei esse bene.” He wondered why he even knew Latin. 

“Whui tur-’t im just n- okaui?” He dropped the wrench. 

The clocks were ticking faster, _weren’t they?_

Oh, they’re speeding up. 

Out of _sync_. 

Inconsistent. 

**Faster than normal.**

Ticking like a bomb, tocking like a madman.

Were they _faster_ or was it just in his head?

He looked around at the clocks and tried to keep his breathing steady, but now that was becoming _inconsistent_ as well. 

The thing he was counting on.

**Too fast.**

_Out of sync._

Too loud.

He **needed** noise, but _not this much_.

It was **only the sound of clocks** , but each **click** sounded like a **gunshot**.

He worked faster.

He needed to keep up with the **clocks**.

He wouldn’t let them _run away_ from him too.

He wouldn’t let himself _lose his last hope_ for control.

He was losing himself as he worked.

He worked like a **machine**.

He felt like a **machine**.

The blue of the box kept him **focused**.

Constructing the mechanisms was his only hope.

Somewhere along the way

He forgot who he was doing this for

And he wasn’t sure if it was for himself

Because he wanted to **stop**

But he couldn’t bring himself to do it

He couldn’t bring himself to _stop working_

He **needed** to work

He **needed** it to work

He **needed** to beat the clock

He mumbled over and over

“ **Tick tock**

**Tick tock** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written over the span of a couple of weeks and so I’m sorry if the writing seems to shift in tone at parts haha  
> Will Wood is so good to listen to while writing FW  
> Btw! I have a tumblr! I’ve been using my blogs a LOT more now!  
> You can find my main blog at DoctorSiren  
> And you can find my AU askblog at Sirens-AU-Asks  
> The askblog has both FW and SSAU!
> 
> It’s so weird to think that FW is over 4 months old now :flushedmumbo:  
> Also...huh  
> My birthday is in like 3 days what- (Nov 9-)  
> Smh so strange
> 
> I brought in the fact that he knows many useless languages  
> Which are:  
> Galactic, Birdspeak, Klingon, French (not useless, but I remembered that I had him take French-), Latin and Elvish
> 
> Also, the last part wasn’t intended to be a poem, but it came out that way-
> 
> Stop hating on Griandroid >:((((  
> Also appreciation for Zedbot :D
> 
> I wrote a song for FW the other day, and a lot of the lyrics made it into this chapter, so once I finish the recordings for it, it’ll probably be meant for both chapters 44 and 45
> 
> It’s been so long while writing this chapter, i genuinely don’t know if I’m forgetting anything  
> Man, watch part of the chapter be unfinished smh


	46. Memento Mori

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Everyone I love is gonna die  
> And I will die as well  
> I think about this before I sleep  
> And have since I was a child
> 
> In my life, will I make a difference?  
> In my death, will I be missed?  
> Will I be granted some sort of an afterlife  
> Or will I just cease to exist?
> 
> This fear makes me feel so naive  
> I wish that I could just accept  
> But I'm chilled by the redundancy of  
> Thoughts collected, but not kept
> 
> Maybe I'm still a stupid little boy  
> Too weak to understand what will come  
> I want to find peace of mind  
> Maybe no mind is the answer to that condundrum"

Grian and Xisuma stood in front of the endportal. Xisuma had stopped walking and stared at the entrance in front of him. Grian could feel his hesitance. 

“X, it’s gonna be okay. They won’t mess with us...I hope.” Grian told his friend, despite having no evidence to back up his claim. 

“I really hope so too…Your wings will give you a bit more cover, but I’m not so sure about the rest of your feathers. I haven’t been back to the Capital since I left for Hermitcraft.” X sighed and stepped forwards, staring down at the space of a portal below him. 

“Should...Should I, like, put on some armour or something? Cover up my other feathers?” Grian pulled up his inventory, his hand hovering over his Poultry Man armour.

“That’s a good idea. Plus, you might need the defense in case anyone  _ does _ try to mess with us.” Xisuma said without looking back at his feathered friend.

Grian nodded and equipped the armour, a sick feeling growing in him. The armour just gave him bad memories. He decided to counteract the bad memories by having something good. He took Sunshine’s sweater out of his inventory and tied the sleeves loosely, but securely, around his neck, like an 80s dad. He wasn’t wearing the Poultry Man mask because he didn’t feel like it was necessary.

Xisuma glanced over his shoulder. “You ready?” 

Grian nodded again and stepped up to his friend. Xisuma grabbed G’s hand and jumped into the portal, pulling the bird along with him. 

Traveling to the End was always more disorienting than traveling to the Nether. 

In an instant, the two hermits were standing on a platform of endstone in the middle of the static galaxy. In front of them was where the Enderdragon had been before they defeated her this season. The empty obsidian pillars stood tall, surrounding the bedrock portal that would take them back home. 

Xisuma flew up into the air and took off his helmet, setting it in his inventory. He took in a huge breath of space, and sighed. He looked at Grian, motioning for him to follow. The bird flew up as well, staying by X’s side as he led the Overworldian through empty static. 

“The Capital is this way. You’ll know it when you see it, but the flight from the Enderdragon’s domain to any Watcher Endcity is pretty long.” Xisuma explained, his voice not traveling far through the cosmos. 

The two flew silently for a bit until Grian spoke up.

“So Biffa was an Admin too?” He asked. Xisuma nodded.

“GenerikB, Biffa, and I are all Admins. Generik’s a senior Admin on the Council, which puts him in charge of getting Admins started on servers. That’s why he ran Hermitcraft for her first season before giving her over to me. Biffa was my assistant Admin, in charge of making sure I was handling things okay before eventually leaving me on my own. He stayed longer than intended.” Xisuma answered. 

“Huh. Well, alrighty then…”

“Fun fact! The Capital is where I first met Scar.” Xisuma mentioned.

“Really? Is...Is that where those ‘bad run-ins’ happened to him?” Grian replied.

“Unfortunately, yes.” 

The two flew in silence for the rest of the trip. Grian didn’t like how the real void felt less suffocating than his dream void. 

Xisuma stopped flying forwards as a large, grand city came into view. He flew in place, looking at the place he grew up in. Grian didn’t want to stop flying. He felt like if he paused, his wings would give out. They had been flying for what seemed like a couple of hours, but time was strange in the End. It went slower than it did in the Overworld. 

Grian slowly passed Xisuma, giving him a look over his shoulder.

“Well, don’t stop now.” Grian tried to give him a reassuring smile. Xisuma nodded and continued flying, leading G towards the city.

The Admin and the bird landed on a paved road. Grian stumbled against a wall and shrunk down to his normal form. Why had he chosen to fly the whole way in his hero form? 

He was exhausted and suddenly out of breath. Xisuma crouched down in front of him.

“Hey, are you alright?” Xisuma asked, clearly worried.

Grian gave him a nod, although he himself wasn’t sure. “Yeah, I’ve just...never flown for that long.” He gave a chuckle as he slowly got up. Xisuma helped him stand steady. 

“I need to do something, hold on.” Grian ducked behind a building. He put Sunshine’s sweater into his inventory before shooting a blast of pent-up lightning down into the endless ocean of emptiness below. He let out a sigh of relief as he stretched his wings out, feeling much better now that he wasn’t so intensely charged. He took the starred sweater back out and put it on again before stepping out from behind the building. 

  
  


“Feeling better?” Xisuma asked. Grian nodded. “Alrighty. Biffa should be somewhere in the Capitol building. Unless he’s joined another server, which I don’t think he has. I hope not. We need his help.”

Grian followed Xisuma as he walked down a street, winged people everywhere. The bird willed himself to his hero form as he saw very tall masked beings. 

“So, how can Biff help?” G asked.

“Biffa was Alex’s friend. When I kept shutting him out, Biffa would let him in. He didn’t want me to ban Alex, but I did. I guess it makes sense that B not being a hermit anymore led to Alex and I getting closer since he didn’t have anyone else to talk to.” Xisuma explained while watching citizens try not to stare at the strangely dressed man and the Doomslayer. It was obvious that a number of people recognized either the armour or Xisuma himself. 

Doomguy was a hero in the Capital. People told stories about him. The day he was murdered was filled with grief from the citizens. He was simultaneously beloved and feared. The strange soldier with no wings who used a pair of guns. He told the children stories of the Nether and gave them little trinkets from the Hellish landscape. He was a gentleman to everyone, but would make sure that it was known that he was going to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. 

He was so respected that he had been offered a seat on the Council and a pair of wings more than once, but he always turned it down. He had his suspicions about the corruption in the Council and the Watcher ranks. He didn’t want to be a part of that.

His sons were Admins. They both wanted to be respected like their father. Alex quickly saw the corruption, but Xisuma was blinded. X couldn’t see past the masks to the monsters underneath. He couldn’t believe that it took himself that long to see the truth that Alex always knew. He couldn’t believe that it took this long to realize that Alex was only trying to protect X. 

Xisuma knew that by becoming a server Admin, he was still a part of the Council. At least by becoming a server Admin, he didn’t have to interact with the Council. 

In truth, the Council was glad to have Xisuma far from the Capital once they realized he could be a threat. He wondered what would happen when they see him and an Overworldian in the Capitol building. 

As the two walked down the street, a few citizens gave Xisuma a wave, who smiled and waved back in return. 

Xisuma slowed as they approached a statue of a man, holding a helmet under one arm, and a rabbit in his other hand. He stopped in his tracks as he realized what it was.

The statue was made of a dark bronze metal and was incredibly detailed. The plaque, which was written in Galactic, read 

“In Memory of the Doomslayer”

Grian looked at Xisuma, who stared at the statue. 

“...They must have built this in the years since I’ve been gone…” He stepped up to the statue and softly touched the boot of it. 

Grian could see the sorrow in his friend. He set a hand on his shoulder.

“You alright, bud?” G asked.

X took a second to respond. “Yeah...yeah, I’m fine.” He wiped his eyes and looked up at the statue. Daisy the rabbit was depicted sleeping peacefully in her owner’s hand. There was a proud smile on the Doomslayer’s face, a smile that he had often given to him and Alex.

Grian and Xisuma studied the statue when a young Admin boy ran up behind them.

“Excuse me-” He began. It took Grian a moment to realize that the boy was speaking in Galatic. It was strange, since he heard the words as if they were English.

Xisuma and G turned around to face the boy.

“Are you the Doomguy?” The boy asked, pointing up at the statue. Xisuma looked down at his red Doomsuit and then back at the kid. 

“No...but he was my father.” Xisuma gave the boy a smile.

“Oh. Um, I just wanted to say that I wanna be like him when I grow up. My mum tells me stories about him, and he sounded like an amazing guy.” The boy replied shyly. 

Xisuma smiled fully. “He was. He really was…” He crouched down in front of the boy and set a hand on his shoulder. “I believe in you. One day, you’ll be a hero like he was.”

The boy grinned happily. “Thank you Mister Doomguy’s Son!”

“You know what? You can call me Doomguy.” Xisuma offered.

“Thank you Mister Doomguy!” The boy laughed and ran back to an Admin woman who Xisuma recognized. She gave him a wave as her son took her hand and they began to continue down the street.

Xisuma stood up, his mood very much improved. Grian gave X a dorky grin. 

“What?” X looked at him in confusion.

“Look at you! The new Doomguy.” G gave X a side hug. Xisuma laughed.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been here. It’s been so long since someone in Doom armour has been seen here, I’m guessing.”

“Your dad would be proud, X.” G said in a serious tone.

Xisuma made eye contact with his friend. “I know.” 

The two continued to approach the grandiose castle that was the Capitol building. As they got closer, the more impressive everything looked. The tall beings wore fanciful masks adorned with a glowing symbol that Grian recognized from Xisuma’s cloak pin. He couldn’t help but feel like he had seen it somewhere else. Perhaps in one of the old magic books that him and Taurtis would look through on their little journeys. 

“Hey, X. What’s that symbol?” G asked, pointing to the symbol which seemed to be everywhere at the Capitol.

“That’s the Watcher symbol. It’s like the Delta Rune, but for this kingdom instead.” Xisuma answered. “See the tall, clawed people? Those are Watchers. They’re the other race native to the Endcities. I’m an Admin. We look more human, and are sort of...sort of the ‘common folk’. Watchers make up the higher class and most of the Council. Sometimes, there’ll be a Watcher who isn’t actually a member of the Watcher race. Just like with Admin, Watcher is both a title and a race. People can become a Watcher. In fact, if I hadn’t stopped being ignorant to the crap that the Watchers had been doing, I probably would have been made a Watcher.” 

“I see…”

Every so often, Grian would see a masked being who didn’t look like the other Watchers. He assumed they were people who had become a Watcher. 

Admins and Watchers alike watched Xisuma and Grian as they entered the main hall of the Capitol. Some looked delighted to see X, while others turned their backs with a scowl.

A man with curly brown hair and a striped orange and white shirt underneath his End cloak ran up to Xisuma. Strangely, the man had a pair of orange cat ears that poked through his hair.

“Suma!” He exclaimed with a grin. X turned to look at the man, and his face broke out in a smile.

“Stampy!” X gave his old friend a hug. “It’s been a while!”

“Yeah it has.” Stampy smiled. “Who’s your friend?” He motioned towards the armoured Overworldian. 

“Oh, this is Grian! He’s one of the Hermits from my server!” X introduced the bird.

“Hello!” Grian gave a wave.

“Hey there! I’m Stampy!” The Admin grinned, and turned to Xisuma. “What brings you back to the Capital?” He asked.

“We’re looking for Biffa. We need his help with Alex…” Xisuma sighed. Stampy nodded in understanding. 

“I think I saw Biffa near the armoury a while ago.” Stampy told his fellow Admin. 

“Oh! Great! So he’s here! Perfect.” Xisuma looked relieved. 

“Stampy! Joel’s waiting for us!”

The three of them looked over to who called. A pink haired woman stood near the exit of the main hall.

“Oh! Sorry, Liz! I’ll be right there!” Stampy called back. He turned to Xisuma. “I gotta go, but I wish you luck! It was great to see you again! Give Alex my best. And it was a pleasure to meet you, Grian!” Stampy gave X and G a smile and a wave as he headed to meet up with Liz.

Grian watched them run out of the main hall, finding comfort in the fact that the people here weren’t as scary as he expected. 

When he turned back around, something made him freeze. It felt like someone was watching him. As he looked around, he spotted someone who must have been made a Watcher. They were fairly short, even compared to the Admins. They wore a torn cloak and a white mask that covered their eyes. Despite that, Grian still felt like they were staring at him. He felt so out of place. Xisuma had been telling G where the armoury was, but Grian wasn’t quite paying attention.

Xisuma led G forwards, and they passed the strange Watcher. His mind felt fuzzy the longer he looked at them. Finally, the duo turned the corner and the Watcher was out of sight. Grian sighed.

“Something wrong?” X looked up at his tall friend.

“Sorry...one of the Watchers was giving me the creeps.” G didn’t know how to explain the feeling. 

“Yeah, they tend to do that.” X replied. 

As they walked down a large hall lined with pictures of Watchers and Admins, Xisuma’s pace quickened. It seemed like he didn’t really want to be here either.

Sounds of magic being blasted got louder and louder as they approached the armoury. Xisuma poked his head inside, spotting a red and yellow armoured man in the air, blasting a target with a ray of magic energy from a cannon on his hand. The target blew up and the man lowered himself down, the cannon shifting back into his armour’s gauntlet. He was the only one in the armoury.

Xisuma pulled Grian inside, catching the attention of the man. It was nice for Grian to see a familiar face.

“Biffa!” Xisuma greeted his friend. 

“Xisuma? And...Grian??” Biffa pushed his hair out of his eyes, clearly confused.

“Hey Biff.” Grian chuckled awkwardly. He guessed he was still recognizable in this form.

“Okay, a coupla things. One, why’re you here? Two, why’s Grian suddenly a Dungeons and Dragons fighter?” Biffa stepped toward the hermits.

“I think number one should have been ‘hello’, but alright.” Xisuma joked and held open his arms. Biff laughed and gave X a hug. 

“Sorry. One, hello. Two, why’re you here? Three, Grian?? D&D??” Biffa asked after letting go. “Actually, four, why are you wearing Alex’s suit?”

“Well, that relates to your second thing-“

“I’m buff cuz I’m becoming a bird.” Grian jumped in.

“I-...That actually doesn’t help clear up anything, but I’ll take it.” Biffa sighed. 

“In all seriousness, Grian doesn’t have much time left, and he decided to come help me with my family issues.” Xisuma replied. “Biff...I think I finally broke Alex’s trust in me. He...he won’t listen to me, or Hels, and it’s getting hard to be a good Admin when I’ve been a terrible brother...I need your help. Alex trusts you. You’re one of his favourite people, and you might be my last hope.” Xisuma started to get teary-eyed, which surprised Grian at how easily it happened. It always felt so odd to see his friend, his Admin, cry. Biffa must have felt that same way.

“He hates me, and I’ve only now realized that I was the bad guy. I did all these things that just kept piling on, until it finally broke Alex.” Xisuma covered his face with his hand, and breathed in deeply. 

Biffa put a hand on X’s arm. “Hey. Suma. We’re gonna fix this. I will help you in any way.” 

Xisuma nodded and used his cloak to wipe the tears from his face. He gave Biffa another hug. 

“Did he take the green suit?” Biffa asked as X pulled away from the hug. The hermit Admin nodded. 

“Why’d you come along, G?” Biff looked up at the feathered man.

“I didn’t think Xisuma wanted to be alone right now.” Grian answered. 

“And you were right.” X chuckled through his tears. “Thanks guys...both of you. I appreciate you both very much.” 

“And we appreciate you.” Biff smiled.

“Heck yeah, X.” Grian open his big arms wide and hugged both of the Admins, picking them up in the process.

“Grian-” Xisuma choked out.

“Oh! Sorry!” Grian set them both down. “I forget I’m strong sometimes.” 

Biffa laughed. “Should we get going? At least get out of the Capitol building? I don’t think some of the Council members would be happy to see you. Or you, Grian, for that matter.”

Xisuma nodded. 

Biffa held up his arm, which wore a shiny gold bracer. He typed in some coordinates and took Grian and Xisuma by their hands. 

“I’m gonna cheat, but I’m legally allowed to.” Biff smiled as the three of them were winked from the armoury in front of a house near the edge of the Capital city. Grian stumbled, feeling dizzy and disoriented from the teleportation. 

“Woahhhh, I had not expected that.” The bird leaned against the house to get steady and regain his composure. 

Xisuma looked at Biffa. “Full admin?”

“Yup. I’ve got a job on the Council.” Biff answered. “Don’t tell them, but uh...I’m kinda running an operation to sabotage them when they plan to do bad things.” Biffa winked playfully. 

Xisuma smiled. “That’s perfect.” 

“Anyways! Here’s my house! We can rest here for the night and make the journey in the morning.” The blond man opened the door to the home, waiting for the hermits to enter. 

Grian looked up at the sky as he stepped inside the house, ducking as he did so. “Wait, how can you tell if it’s day or night here?” 

“We’ve got clocks.” Biffa answered, as if that resolved the issue. Grian shrugged. 

“Alright.” The bird stood in a cozy living room. 

Xisuma’s face lit up as he looked around the room. The shelves had pictures of various times on the Hermitcraft server. On the table was a city built out of Legos. Biffa loved designing cities. 

“You two want some tea?” Biffa asked as he closed the door behind him. The two guests nodded.

Grian looked at Biffa’s armour as he walked into the kitchen.

“I just...Hey, wait.” Grian started to laugh. “Xisuma’s Doomguy, and you’re Iron Man.” 

“OH COME ON!” Biffa threw his arms up in the air jokingly. 

Xisuma cracked up. “Everytime.”

“EVERYTIME!” Biffa pulled out a tea kettle, his mock exasperation breaking away to laughter.

“I’m guessing people say that a lot?” Grian asked.

“Yup.” Biff started preparing the tea.

Xisuma sat down on the couch in front of the Lego city. Biffa put the kettle on the stove and walked over to his friends. Grian shrunk down to his normal size, catching Biff off guard. Grian dequipped his Poultry Man armour, keeping Sunshine’s sweater around his shoulders. Biffa just stared at him.

“I-...Okay what the actual Nether?” 

“Hm?” Grian looked up from his inventory. “I mean, I told you I was turning into a bird.” 

“...That you did.” Biff shrugged. “What kind of size changing birds do you know?” 

“Thunderbirds.” Xisuma spoke up.

“Oh yeah! That’s how you two met!” Biffa realized. Grian nodded.

“So do you normally just...walk around shirtless?” The ex-hermit asked.

“Pretty much, yeah.” Grian came over to the Lego table and examined the structures. 

“I bet there’s some solution to that. You  _ were _ just wearing armour and such.” Biff pointed out.

“Yeah, but that’s because that’s equippable as armour. Besides, I don’t have much time left, so what’s the point?” Grian pulled out the open tub of legos that sat underneath the table. 

“You’ve got me there.” Biff answered. 

Grian started clicking pieces together on the floor. Xisuma took off his purple cloak and set it in his inventory. He hid his wings and rested his head against the back of the couch. 

“So...how have things been on the server?” Biff tried to make conversation.

“Uhm...A buncha stuff. Most recently, Scar became the mayor of the shopping district, Mumbo and I became dads and had a huge fight, I was a superhero for a bit, Joe’s the dog catcher. All that normal stuff.” Grian chirped up while building with the bricks.

“Okay wait, go back. What happened between you and Mumbo?” Biffa was intrigued. 

“Basically, when I started becoming a bird, Mumbo started building robots that called us their dads, and then it got out of hand, we had an argument, and he shut himself in my superhero headquarters and is building more robots.” Grian tried to sound casual. 

“Is everything okay?” 

“...well, no. I want this whole thing to be over, but I think he still hates me. He built robot versions of the hermits and his own family. I’m trying not to, uh..think about that right now though, because it’ll just make me sad.”

Xisuma sighed. “I talked to Mumbo and it seemed like he was going to listen to me. That was yesterday? I think? Hopefully, he fixes himself before Grian transforms.” 

“Wow…” Biffa didn’t know what to say.

“Yup…” Grian looked at the tea kettle as it whistled. 

Biffa stood up. “I’ll get that.” 

* * *

After more talk and tea, Biffa showed the hermits the guest rooms. Grian was currently laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. He found that it had become easier to sleep with his wings the longer he had them. 

He didn’t hate them anymore. He didn’t hate himself like he once had. He was just sad that he might not be able to see his friend before his time is up. 

Grian had accepted his fate. He knew he couldn’t fight against it. He had less than two weeks, if he did the math right. 

G untied the sweater from his shoulders and hugged it close. He felt himself drift off to sleep.

  
  


When Grian woke up the next morning, he was a bit confused on where he was. It took him a second to remember what had happened the previous night. He sat up and stretched his wings out, feeling a bit sore from the long flight. He looked down, expecting to see Sunshine’s sweater in his lap, but was filled with panic when it wasn’t. He looked around the bed on both sides frantically, relief washing over him as he found it easily on the floor next to the bed. He grabbed it and tied it back on his shoulders as he stood up and made the bed, picking a few feathers off of the blankets. 

Grian left the room and closed the door behind him, making his way down the stairs to the living room where he heard Xisuma and Biffa talking. The two of them stood in the kitchen, eating breakfast.

“Look who’s finally awake.” Biffa smiled and passed Grian a blueberry muffin. 

“Well, I’m not sure if my body can tell what time it is here.” Grian took the muffin and took a bite. 

Xisuma nodded. “Time’s kinda strange here.” 

“We’ll probably get going soon.” Biffa told Grian.

“Alrighty.” The bird took another bite of the muffin.

After breakfast, the two armoured Admins and the feathered hermit prepared for their trip. They stood on the edge of the city, facing the direction they needed to go.

“How are you gonna fly?” Grian asked Biffa, who was typing something into his bracer. The Admin looked up.

“I have wings too.” He answered, a pair of wings similar to Xisuma’s appearing on his back. 

“Oh, yeah, wait, I’m dumb.” Grian chuckled. He looked out into the vast space in front of them, dread filling him. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to make the flight back. 

“Something wrong, Grian?” Xisuma asked, looking at his friend.

“Hm? Oh, no, I’m...I’m fine.” Grian blinked a few times.

“Do you want me to carry you on the way back?” X offered. Biffa smiled at the ridiculous thought.

“Yeah. That’d...That’d be great.” Grian nodded and put Sunshine’s sweater in his inventory before shrinking down to hummingbird size. Biffa's smile froze.

“Oh man, you’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

Grian smiled. “Yeah, I’m an enigma.” He chuckled, his voice tiny and high. He fluttered to Xisuma, who held out his hand for the bird to rest on. 

“We should probably get going now. People might get suspicious if we’re just...standing at the edge of the city.” Biffa looked at X, who nodded.  
“Alrighty.” Both Admins flew up into the air. X held Grian in his hand securely. 

As the Admins made their way through the void, Xisuma got Biffa caught up on the situation between him and Alex. 

“So, what should I do?” Biff asked once Xisuma was finished.

“Talk to him. Show him understanding, because I am apparently terrible at that.” X replied.

“Got it…” Biffa looked down at his bracer. “We’re almost there.” 

A couple minutes of silence passed. 

“Hey, Biff? Why did you let me ban Alex?” Xisuma spoke up.

“It wasn’t like I could stop you. You did it without even telling me.” The ex-hermit answered.

“I-...I know….Why did you stay on the server for so long?” X looked at Biffa.

“You all were my friends, my family. I was able to make up reasons to the Council to allow me to stay for longer, but I ran out of excuses and I had to leave...Even in previous seasons, I had to leave for small bits of time, but I tried to stay. It was my home…” Biffa explained. “I mean, I’m not the only hermit to leave. Not at all. Jessassin, Python, DB…Wels left for a bit, but came back, so I’ve heard. It always hurt when someone would leave, but things change…”

Grian listened to the conversation, feeling a tug of sadness on his heart. He didn’t really know Jess or Python that well, or even who DB was, but it still made him sad to hear about past friends. It made him sad when Wels left. He found that he got attached to friends easily, and it hurt to see them leave. He thought back to his friends he knew before he joined Hermitcraft. He missed them all. He wished he could speak to them again. He wished things weren’t so confusing.

He stared into the abyss all around them, the stars making the space seem like static. It started to feel suffocating. He pushed himself up against Xisuma, and covered himself with his wings, wanting the feeling to stop. 

X looked down at his hand where tiny Grian was huddled. “Hey, hey, are you alright G?” 

Grian peeked out from behind his wing. He chirped a response.

“Is...is that a no?” Xisuma didn’t understand what his friend said.

Grian tried again, but could only chirp and trill. He felt his heart rate quicken, fearing that he had less time than he was promised. 

Biffa looked at Xisuma’s hand. “Wait, can he not talk?”

Xisuma gave Biffa a worried look as obsidian pillars on an endstone island came into view. 

Grian chirped frantically as he began flapping his wings erratically in X’s hand. X’s hold on him became tighter. 

“Grian! Calm down! We’re almost to the portal.” Xisuma told Grian.

The Admins landed next to an obsidian pillar and walked a bit forwards, more towards the portal back to the Hermitcraft server. 

Xisuma sat down on the ground, Biffa following suit. X opened his hand. Grian huddled underneath his wings. X brought his hand up to his face. 

“Grian, it’s okay.” 

The bird sat up. He wiped his eyes and tried to breathe more steadily. He tried once more to speak, still only able to chirp in birdspeak. He flew up into the air and started to zip towards the portal. He needed to get out of this suffocating dimension.

“Hey! Grian!” X jumped up and followed the hummingbird. Biffa scrambled after them. Grian dropped himself down into the portal, bracing himself for the weird thoughts and words that always filled his head when he left the End. 

Xisuma hopped in after him. Biffa pressed a button on the side of his helmet, a glass cover closing on his helmet so he could breathe in the Overworld. 

It was strange.

Grian saw the words in his head, like text on a screen.

But he could understand things he couldn’t before.

The jumbled words the strange beings spoke were now clear.

He felt like it was less of a one-sided story being told to him, and more like he could respond if he wanted.

Could he try it?  
“And the Universe said I love you” the words read.

Grian tried to speak, but once again, there were only chirps.

The words froze, seeming to glitch. 

The normal poem he heard each time disappeared. New words came into view.

“Who are you.” They read.

Grian chirped, his words starting to return. He was able to say “Grian.”

“Why are you here?” The words read.

Grian chirped a few words to get his voice back. His words returned.

“Well?” The words pressed.

“Shouldn’t-...Shouldn’t  _ you _ know? I thought you voices were like otherworldly beings.” Grian asked back.

The words appeared on the screen as if they were being typed as he watched. 

“Why were you in the End, Overworldian?”

Grian was confused. 

“Don’t ‘Overworldians’ come to the End often? Y’know, like, to Endbust and such?” Grian thought it was weird to have to clarify.

“Why were you at the Captial? You're not welcome there.” The words typed.

“I was helping my friend.” Grian shot back.

“Who are you?” The words asked again.

“I told you! I’m Grian!” He started to get annoyed. He just wanted to wake up.

“Who are you?” The words typed again.

“Grian Charles Dreamslayer!” 

“Who are you?” 

Grian watched as the phrase repeated over and over, faster and faster. 

“What happened to you? Why are you here?” New words typed, not giving him time to answer before adding more questions. “Why can’t you stay out of things that aren’t your business? Who are you? Why are you? When did you lose? How haven’t you lost?”  
“Let me wake up!” He yelled in response.

He didn’t think it would work...But it did.

He woke up.

Grian shot up in his bed, realizing that he was in his mansion. He was in his normal form, despite not changing back before jumping into the portal. His head hurt and everything felt jumbled. What had happened? His head felt fuzzy and full of static, but as he stood up and walked out of his room, the feeling faded and he was left confused. The strange dream was slipping away. He shook his head and sighed. 

He could see it was dark outside. He looked at the clock on his wall. It told the bird that it was a quarter past 4. He guessed 4 AM. 

Time seemed to travel slower in the End than in the Overworld, so even though they had only been in the End overnight, a full day had passed in the Overworld.

Grian looked down at his arms, discovering more feathers. He sighed and made his way towards the roof access trapdoor. He climbed up through it into the cool pre-sunrise air. He closed the trapdoor behind him and flew up into the air.

He headed for Xisuma’s base.

  
  


Xisuma didn’t experience the scrolling message dreams like the Overworldians did.

He simply woke up, only a tad disoriented. He set up and stretched his wings out, looking around.

It took him a second to realize that Biffa wasn’t with him, which made sense. Biffa wasn’t a part of Season 7, and never slept in Xisuma’s room, and so he wouldn’t wake up from the End in there. 

Xisuma raised his left arm up and typed into his own Admin bracer. He sent a message to Biffa’s bracer, giving his friend the coordinates of his base. 

After a minute or two, the colourful armoured Admin winked into existence in Xisuma’s room. X wasn’t fazed by the sudden apparition. He was used to people popping in and out from around him, since it happened often in the End. 

“You look tired.” Biffa said to Xisuma before looking around the room at the posters on the walls. He stepped over to the framed picture of X, Alex, and Doomguy. He smiled.

“I am tired.” Xisuma tried to chuckle and sound casual. 

Biffa nodded, looking over at Xisuma. The sight of X’s wings reminded him to hide his own. He did so and stepped to the bedroom door. 

“Are the lights still on out there?” Biff asked as he opened the door, seeing light from the first floor on the otherwise dark hallway and stairs. Xisuma stood and stretched, camouflaging his wings in the process. He stepped past Biffa into the dark hallway. Biff followed him as he went down the stairs into the lit up living room. 

On the couch holding a cup of something was xB. The stairs creaked as the Admins came down them, alerting the hermit. xB looked over at the stairs, his face lighting up. He downed the rest of his drink and set the empty cup down before jumping up from the couch and running over to the Admin pair. 

“xB? Why are you here and still up?” Xisuma asked, looking at a clock to see it was a bit past 4 in the morning. 

“Well, I wanted to wait for you to come back, and I wanted to watch over your base while you were gone, just in case Uncle Alex came back or something.” xB explained before giving Xisuma a big hug.

“I’m glad you’re safe.” 

Xisuma understood xB’s concern. The young hermit knew how awful Watchers could be. 

X hugged him back and rested his head on top of xB’s for a moment, breathing slowly. He realized he had been panicking about Alex and everything else while in the End, but now he felt calmer in his own base. 

xB let go and turned towards Biffa. “Uncle Biff!” xB grinned and gave the other Admin a huge hug. 

Biffa laughed happily and gave the young hermit a hug in return. “Hey xB! It’s been a bit, hasn’t it?”  
xB smiled as he let go. “Yeah. I wish you could visit more.” 

“I wish I could visit more as well.” Biffa ruffled the young man’s hair. 

There was a knock on the door. xB rushed over to the front door and opened it. 

Grian stood on the other side, looking confused. When the door opened to him, he looked up at xB. 

“Oh, hey xB!” Grian gave the hermit a smile. 

“Hey Grian! I’m assuming you’re here for those two?” xB pointed over his shoulder to the Admins. The bird nodded, and xB stepped aside to let him in. 

xB closed the door behind Grian. The feathered hermit walked into the living room, greeting the Admins.

“Hey, sorry I’m late, I had a WACK dream.” Grian went past the Admins and into the kitchen, where he started eating cookies that were left out, making sure they weren’t chocolate ones first.

“Oh, the End Poem thingy, right?” xB asked. 

“Kinda? It kinda cut off? I was able to talk to the person? They kept asking me questions? It was weird? I think? I can’t really remember what they said or what I said.” Grian shrugged and shoved another cookie into his mouth.

Xisuma and Biffa shared a worried look. 

“Alright, that’s not normal.” Biffa said. 

“Yeah, I know, but we don’t need another problem to worry about.” Grian chuckled.

Xisuma nodded. “We should get ahold of Hels so he can show you where Alex was.” 

  
  


**A Few Hours Earlier**

Down in the HQ, Mumbo was working. He’d let the clocks lull him into a rhythm of working. He'd been working nonstop since that morning. His TARDIS was coming together nicely. The actual frame of it was done, and he was working on the bit that would allow the actual time travel. 

He looked up to one of his many clocks, seeing it was very late at night.

He could work for more time. He wasn’t tired.

That’s what he told himself, at least.

Soon, he would be able to fix everything.

There was a knock at the door. Mumbo didn’t say anything and just continued to work. 

The door opened. Mumbo stayed focused.

“Dad? You’re going to sleep, aren’t you?” Grumbot came inside the workshop. He approached his father.

“Why would I sleep when I’m not tired?” Mumbo gave a laugh which turned into a yawn. He shook his head and tried to keep his hands steady. He was working on one of the more dangerous parts of the mechanism. 

“Dad, please. You can continue tomorrow morning. I’ll even wake you up early if you want. Just rest now.” Grum came over to Mumbo and stood behind him, watching his father work.

Mumbo paused and looked up at Grumbot. “...fine….Can I at least finish this last little bit?” 

Grum nodded. “I’ll be waiting in the living room for you to be done.” He crouched down and gave his father a hug. Mumbo hugged back.

Grum let go, stood up, and gave his father a kiss on the head. He turned to leave. Mumbo turned back to his work.

He needed exact precision. He needed steady hands and complete focus. One wrong placement of redstone could ruin the whole system, making him need to start over.

He squinted at the circuits, his vision blurry, even with his glasses. His mind started to drift. He felt his eyes try to close. 

He couldn’t let himself sleep. He needed to finish this part. He was almost done.

“Just….One more...wire.” Mumbo’s head fell as his body tried to tell him to sleep. His hand slipped.

He connected the wrong bit. 

But he didn’t notice.

Mumbo stood up and grabbed the remote he had built to test the mechanisms. He pressed the button, waiting for the redstone to work.

But it took longer than it should have. 

Mumbo got on his knees and started examining the panels of the TARDIS that he just worked on. 

His eyes grew wide as he saw what he had done.

Not only had he messed up the wiring, but he’d created an unstable circuit. He stood up quickly and rushed inside the TARDIS to the centre console. 

“I NEED TO STOP IT BEFORE-”

  
A bright void appeared in the workshop where the TARDIS, and its unstable creator, had been. 

In a flash, the roar of destruction filled the HQ, blowing dents into the solid metallic walls. Loose bits flew out of the doorday, a flurry of flames and broken bits of metal. 

The ringing that came after the main explosion of sound filled everyone's ears, adding to the migraine of the situation.

Eyes turned to the small workshop, the now convex walls, and the rubble that had flown and poured out of the miniscule room.

Grumbot shot off the couch and turned to the blast, terror filling every inch of his metal body. 

"DAD!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really have anything to say ;) (except that Cry helped me with the explosion bit bc when I wrote the end, it didn't sound quite right, so she came to my aide)


	47. The Six Million Dollar Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Is this it? Is this- the end?  
> Ironic. I suppose I’m out of time.  
> Time’s up! Just like that, it’s over. I barely had a chance. I screwed up, again. What a glorious failure! This time I can’t start over; I don’t have a second chance.”

Biffa looked around the server as Grian, xB, and X headed towards a medieval-styled town of purple and white. It was still early in the morning, but Xisuma needed Hels to show them where Alex had been. The Admin was wearing Alex’s suit and helmet. He had his usual helmet in his inventory. As expected, the lights in Wels’ main base were off. 

“He’s probably asleep.” xB brought up. 

Xisuma nodded. “True, but we can’t really wait for the morning.” 

The Wisconsin man quickened his pace to walk next to his Dadmin. 

Biffa and Grian walked side by side behind the duo. The ex-Hermit glanced at the bird. 

“How long have you had your wings?” He asked.

Grian looked at Biffa. “A couple of months or so.” 

“Dang...did they just  _ pop _ ...appear?” 

The hero shook his head. “No, they grew.”

“Oh, ouchie….It took less than two months for your wings to grow to full size? That’s insane.” Biffa replied.

Grian laughed. “It took a little over a week for them to be full size.” He realized.

Biffa coughed. “Excuse me? That must have been painful! See, ‘Suma and I grew wings when we were little kids, but it took years for them to be full size. Even that was painful.” 

“...yeah.” Grian sighed. “The heartbreak was worse though.” He muttered sadly. 

“Yikes.” Biffa wasn’t sure how to respond. 

Xisuma stepped up to the front door of the main building of Wels’ base and knocked swiftly. As expected, there was no response. Xisuma knocked again, to no avail.

Grian looked up the building, noticing a few windows. 

“I could fly up there and knock?” He suggested.

Xisuma looked over his shoulder at the bird. “Go ahead.”

Grian nodded and shrunk down to bird size before flying up to the windows. When he looked inside the front window on the second story, he saw a dark bedroom. An armour stand stood by an occupied bed, a set of armour on it. Grian knocked on the window a few times. It got a response from whomever was sleeping, which Grian assumed was Wels. After knocking for about 2 minutes, Wels finally got up and groggily stumbled over to the window to see what was going on. He was in casual clothes and the faint light from the outside illuminated his blond hair. He opened the window and rubbed his eyes. 

“Sorry about waking you, Wels! But we need your help.” Grian explained, flying in front of the knight’s face. The pointed-ear hermit was still waking up, confused at the situation for a moment. 

Grian could see past Wels better now into the room. He noticed that half of it seemed burnt and charred. 

“Whaddyawant” Wels mumbled before yawning.

“Xisuma’s downstairs at the front door. He’ll explain.” Grian explained. He flew down to the ground and returned to his normal size. 

Wels nodded, still out of it. He closed the window and sleepily left his room and went downstairs. He took his time getting to the front door. When he opened it, he was greeted by Xisuma putting a thermos into his arms. 

“What’s this?” Wels asked, trying to keep his eyes open.

“Coffee.” Xisuma nodded towards the thermos. Wels gave a semi-smile as he unscrewed the lid of the thermos, raising the container to his mouth. He downed the whole bottle as the others watched. When he was finished, he shoved the empty thermos at Xisuma.

“Got any more?” Wels asked.

X looked at xB, who stood slightly behind him, before looking back at Wels.

“I didn’t think I would need to bring more-” Xisuma looked down at the empty thermos.

“Fine, I’ll just make it myself.” Wels turned around and headed towards his kitchen. The 4 others stood outside the open front door.

“Are you gonna come in or what.” Wels turned on the lights and pulled out a coffee maker. 

Xisuma entered the house, followed by xB, Biffa and Grian. The bird closed the door behind him. 

“Why do you need my help again? Didn’t Hels do something already and fail?” Wels started making more coffee for himself.

“We need Hels to show Biffa where Alex was.” Xisuma answered. Wels turned around, just now noticing Biffa.

“Heeeey Biff.” Wels rubbed his eye again. 

“Heya Wels! Nice to see ya again!” Biffa smiled.

“Hey, when will Hels get his own body? He’s been kinda annoying and impatient since you promised him that.” Wels watched the coffee carafe fill up. 

“You  _ what? _ ” Biffa turned to X, who elbowed him gently.

“I’m not sure. It’ll have to be sometime after we fix the situation with Alex, and perhaps after the thing with Grian settles down as well.” X ignored Biffa’s question.

“Alright. Hels keeps making messes.” Wels took the pitcher of coffee and stuck his finger in it to check the temperature. 

The scalding hot liquid didn’t faze him. He took his finger out and put the pitcher to his mouth, downing the whole thing once again. xB winced as Wels did so.

“Doesn’t that...doesn’t that burn?” xB asked.

Wels shrugged. “Heat doesn’t hurt thanks to Hels. That’s like...the only perk.” He set the carafe in the sink.

“Let me get dressed or something. I’ll be back.” Wels yawned again and went upstairs.

“...Now I feel bad for waking him up.” Grian half-joked. 

Loud crashes and yelling came from upstairs. Biffa looked at Xisuma, concerned for the knight.

After longer than it should have taken, the soldier came back downstairs. But instead of it being Wels, it was pretty obvious that Hels had control. 

“Am I gonna show Biffalo Wild Wings here where Strawberry Boy was or what?” Hels went straight for the front door.

“Oh boy.” Biffa sighed. The Admins took the lead in following the Nether Knight.

Grian walked next to xB, who looked worried. Out of impulse, Grian gave the younger hermit a side hug after closing the door of Wels’ house behind them. 

xB smiled. “Thanks.” 

“No problem.” Grian smiled in return.

  
  
  


The five of them stood in front of the Nether portal that would take them the closest to Alex’s hideout. 

Xisuma stepped back from the group. “I shouldn’t go. He clearly doesn’t want to see me right now, and so I think you’ll have a better chance if I’m not there.” 

Biffa nodded. “Good idea.”

“Give this to Alex, though, if you find him.” Xisuma opened up his inventory and took out the normal gray Doom helmet. He passed it to Biffa. 

“Got it.” Biff nodded and put the helmet into his own inventory. 

“I’ll stay behind with X.” Grian stepped back as well. 

“I’ll go.” xB spoke up. 

Hels turned to xB. “But...why?” He raised his eyebrow.

“Because I can help. I know Alex.” xB didn’t like Hels’ attitude. 

Biffa smiled. “You’ll be a great help.” He said to the young man, glaring at Hels as he said it. Hels rolled his eyes.

“Fine. Follow me, geek squad.” Hels began to walk into the the portal.

“The way you said it...doesn't that make  _ you _ part of the ‘geek squad’?” xB joked. Hels’ fire flared up. 

“I  _ WILL _ BURN YOU.” Hels exclaimed as he entered the portal and was whisked away.

“No he won’t.” Biffa rolled his eyes with a smile as he walked in. xB chuckled and followed the two of them. 

Xisuma stood there with Grian until the other three had left. Once they had, the Admin sighed. “I need to not think about this ordeal at the moment.” He admitted and began to head for his base.

Grian followed. “Wanna play Dungeons with me?” He suggested. 

“Sure.” Xisuma smiled and ruffled the shorter hermit’s hair as they walked.

  
  


In the Nether, Hels took the lead. 

“So, heads up. Mr. Hot Topic kinda told me not to show my face around here again, so uh...I might have to like...leave y’all on your own at some point. Don’t wanna get my face blasted off, y’know?” Hels told them as they went deeper into the Nether fortress.

The Admin and xB shared a glance. 

The three walked for a while. It almost seemed like Hels was taking wrong turns on purpose. They passed the same chest four times.

“Hey, Helsknight. Do you actually know where you’re going?” Biffa brought up.

“OF COURSE I DO!” Hels yelled. He took them down another wrong hallway.

“...WHY DOES IT ALL LOOK THE SAME?!” Hels kicked a wall. He turned around and led them back down the hallway.

Hels turned a corner and stopped walking. He turned to them arrogantly as he motioned towards a wall with a couple of blocks broken out of it. 

“See! I told you!” He announced. “Go through there. I’m staying here.” Hels sat against a wall and pulled out what seemed to be a scuffed-up 3DS. 

“Why are you still here? Go!” Hels waved them away.

Biffa shrugged and took the lead through the hole in the wall.

xB followed closely.

“What if he’s not here?” The young hermit asked.

“I...I don’t know, kid.” 

Biffa pressed something on the side of his helmet, instantly regretting it. 

“Heat sensors don’t work well in the Nether.” He sighed as his whole view lit up from heat signatures. He pressed the button again, turning off the scanners.

xB observed the surroundings as they walked through the corridor. They reached a crossroads. 

“Should we split up?” Biffa asked.

“Hm.” xB looked down both hallways. The left path seemed darker and less cared for while the right path was slightly brighter and cleaner.

“No, we should go to the right.” He replied.

“Alrighty.” Biffa nodded and followed xB, who took the lead.

As they went down the hall, turning a few corners, the lights got brighter and it started to seem more like a place that someone lived in. 

They entered an area that seemed like a kitchen of sorts. 

“I think we’re close.” xB looked over his shoulder at Biffa, who nodded in agreement. 

They turned a corner once more and saw a door. It was different than any other of the doors that the duo had seen in the abandoned headquarters.

“So...who’s going first?” Biffa asked as they stood in front of the door.

xB just looked at Biffa. 

“Fine, I’ll go.” Biffa smiled and stepped forward. He hesitated for a moment before knocking. There wasn’t a response, so he tried again.

“Who is it and what do you want?” A familiar voice came from the other side.

“Alex...It’s Biff.” Biffa answered. There was no response. He was about to knock again when the door slightly opened. After the nether man saw it truly was Biffa, he asked another question.

“Are you alone? Alex squinted through the crack in the door.

“It’s just me and xB.” Biffa replied. 

Alex opened the door wider, looking behind Biffa to see his adopted sort-of nephew. 

“Huh. Dadmin ‘Suma actually let you see me? That’s a first.” Alex looked very unamused. 

“Well, you’re my family, aren’t you?” xB stepped forward next to Biffa.

“Am I? Xisuma doesn’t seem to want me to be an influence on you.” Alex shifted his weight to his other leg. He was in casual clothes that reflected the similar interests between the two brothers.

“Alex, I’m a grown man. I can decide if I want you to be my uncle or not. Regardless of my opinion, Xisuma wants you to be his brother.” xB said with confidence. He maintained eye contact with Alex.

After a staredown that lasted around half a minute, Alex sighed and dropped his stance. He pulled xB into a hug.

“You’ve got fire in ya. Guess I was more of an influence than I thought.” He chuckled. “Come in, you two.” Alex let go and walked back into his room. The duo followed.

“Let me guess. Xisuma got you, Biff, to try and get me to come back.” Alex sat down on the bed. 

“Yes. Yes he did. But I want to help you, Alex. Xisuma made terrible decisions that resulted in you getting hurt. You don’t have to let him into your life again if you don’t want to. He banned you, said you were the ‘evil version’ of himself instead of admitting to the server who you really were, he refused to acknowledge his mistakes in regard to this-”

“Thank you for proving my point.” Alex cut in.

Biffa sighed and continued. “But….But he wants to be different. He wants to change. He wants to apologize to you.”

“Then why is he sending other people to talk to me for him?” Alex snapped.

“Because he knew that if he tried to talk to you himself, you wouldn’t listen.” Biffa answered calmly. “Alex, I’m your friend. I tried to defend you in court. I didn’t want Xisuma to ban you, and I told him that it was a bad idea to lie about you. There wasn’t much I could do about it though...I’m also Xisuma friend though. He’s not the same guy who wanted you banished from the End. He just wants to be your brother again.”

“He said that he wasn’t fit to be the Admin of the server if he couldn’t even be a good brother...He wants to fix things. Please….let him.” xB added in.

Biffa nodded, and continued. “You both were so focused on being like your dad that you split apart. But, Alex, would your dad have wanted this? Would he have wanted to see his sons fight and disown each other?”

Biffa was silent. Alex realized the question wasn’t hypothetical.

“Well...no…” Alex’s intense demeanor started to fade. “It...it would have broken his heart.” He admitted.

“You can fix this.” Biffa smiled and took his friend’s hand. xB sat on the bed next to Alex. The young hermit hugged Alex who jumped slightly from the action.

“...I think I need to talk to him myself.” Alex finally said. Biffa smiled.

“Y’know what? That was easier than I thought it would be.” He chuckled and leaned forwards, hugging both Alex and xB.

“I’m tired of being the bad guy, I just want to be known as myself and not as Evil Xisuma, y’know?” Alex sounded like he was crying.

Biffa pulled away, followed by xB. Alex laughed and wiped his eyes. 

He stood up and went over to an armour stand that wore the normal Doomsuit, minus the helmet.

Alex equipped the suit and looked around the room.

“Alright, I may be stupid.” He opened up his inventory. “I threw the helmet at Hels, who took it with him. Kinda need one to breathe up there though.” 

“Xisuma told me to give this to you.” Biffa remembered, opening up his own inventory. He took out the helmet that went with the suit and handed it to Alex. 

The nether soldier smiled. “Sweet.” He put the helmet on. 

Daisy the rabbit, who had been sitting on the desk, hopped into Alex’s arm. He chuckled and held her more securely. “Should we get going?” 

Biffa nodded and stood up. xB got up off of the bed. The Admin exited the room, followed by Alex. xB took a look around the room quickly before leaving. He closed the door behind him.

* * *

  
  


Xisuma and Grian were playing a video game on X’s Switch in hopes of getting the Admin’s mind off of his troubles. It seemed to be working. They had been playing for a couple of hours.

“You need to use your potion, G.” X laughed.

“Oh, huh? Sorry, I was distracted.” Grian looked up and used his health potion. X glanced over at his friend.

“Something wrong?” 

“No, no it’s all good. Just noticed some new feathers, but it’s fine.” G said nonchalantly.

It felt strange to hear Grian be so casual about his situation. Xisuma knew he was one to talk, since he tried to be casual about his own situations to save face in front of the hermits. 

“X, don’t worry about me.” Grian looked over at the Admin.

“It’s hard not to worry about you guys.” X made sure they were in the clear before pulling up his character menu on the screen.

“You worry so much about us, but we’re okay.” G tried to reason.

“But what if you’re not?” X set his controller down.

“‘Suma.” Grian gave his friend a kind smile. X sighed and picked his controller back up. 

“...Man, this didn’t help get my mind off of anything.” Xisuma laughed and looked back at the screen. 

Grian chuckled and sat up on the beanbag chair he was on, stretching out his wings as he did so. 

“Hey, so…I can’t stop thinking about the weird thing that happened during my End Poem dream thing.” Grian brought up a few minutes later.

“What happened with it?” Xisuma asked.

“I kept getting asked questions about who I am and why I was there. It was weird.” Grian answered.

“Huh...You also said there was a Watcher that made you uneasy when we were at the Capitol too, right?” Xisuma followed-up.

“Yeah…” Grian put a hand on his forehead. “Everything feels staticy when I think about it.”

“That’s normal. Watchers like to block out memories and replace them with static if they don’t want you to know things.” Xisuma replied.

“But I still remember it. It’s just a fuzzy feeling.” Grian explained.

“It’s to deter you from wanting to think of it again. Watchers are very particular.” Xisuma tried to clarify. 

“Honestly, I wouldn’t be so hung up about this if it didn’t feel so familiar. I don’t know why it does, but it just... _ does _ .” Grian sighed.

Xisuma nodded. “It’s not a stretch to think that Watchers have messed with at least one thing in your life. They like to do that.” 

“Well I find that rude.” Grian stated.

“Oh boy, I do as well.” Xisuma chuckled.

The two kept playing, until suddenly the screen froze. This had happened before with this game, and the only solution was to get out and get back in, which meant losing all the progress on the level. 

Grian chirped loudly in frustration. He slapped a hand over his mouth, his face red. “Didn’t mean to do that.” He laughed, clearly embarrassed. Embarrassed, but not ashamed. 

Xisuma smiled. “It’s fine, G.” He closed out of the game and was about to reopen it when he heard the door open and voices downstairs. 

Grian turned around as he slowly stood. “I’ll go check.” He shrunk down to bird size and zipped out of the room to see who was in the base.

He peeked around the corner and saw xB, Biffa, Hels, and Alex. Grian grinned and flew back up the stairs and into Xisuma’s room.

“They got Alex.” Grian told the Admin. Xisuma quickly stood up and walked out of the room, leaving the TV on. Grian followed right behind.

Alex was laughing as he talked with Hels. Biffa was about to retrieve Xisuma when he came down the stairs. He froze in his tracks and the room went silent as him and his brother made eye contact. The nether man was holding a rabbit.

“Alex.” Xisuma spoke up.

“Xisuma.” Alex replied.

“Should we wait outside?” Grian asked. X nodded.

Grian zipped over to Biffa and the rest. Biffa gave Xisuma thumbs up and gave Alex a pat on his back before heading to the door. 

“C’mon gang.” He motioned for Hels, Grian, and xB to follow. Grian flew out the front door into the bright morning outside. It was a bit after 7 AM.

Biffa held the door open for Hels and xB, leaving and closing it behind himself once those two left. 

Hels walked over to an exterior wall and sat against it, once again pulling out his DS.

“I made a Tomodachi Mii of you, Burrito.” Hels turned his DS around to face Biffa. On screen was a decent Mii version of the Admin, complete with the closest the Nether soldier could get to Biff’s real armour. The Endman chuckled. 

“So, I’m just Burrito now?”

“Sure, Bifferson.” Hels turned his DS back around and kept playing. Biffa sat down next to Hels.

Grian wasn’t sure what to do to keep himself busy, and so he absentmindedly started collecting sticks and twigs while xB began explaining his plan for the rest of his base to the bird.

  
  


Once the other four had left, Xisuma began to walk up the stairs. Alex followed silently, holding Daisy. The twins entered Xisuma’s room, Alex closing the door behind himself. X picked up the remote and switched off the TV. He set it back down and turned to look at his brother dressed in the normal Doom suit. 

“How should I start…” Xisuma watched as Alex walked past him and sat down on the beanbag that Grian had been sitting on earlier.

“Sit down, maybe? Unless you wanna stand up.” Alex shrugged. Xisuma sat down on his own beanbag chair.

“Alex...Alright. I’ve been nothing but terrible to you for the last decade and I don’t even know how to begin with saying sorry.”

“Maybe just by...y’know...saying it?” Alex saw a plate of cookies that Grian was eating next to the chair. He picked one up and took a bite as he pet Daisy.

Xisuma was surprised at how civil his brother was acting during this.

“I’m sorry, Alex.” Xisuma said with as much authenticity as he could put into three words. Alex just looked at him.

“I’m sorry for banning you. Sorry for not believing you. I’m sorry for telling everyone you were some evil clone of me, that was...completely awful. I’m sorry for taking part in you getting banished. I’m sorry for being pretty much the worst brother I could be to you. I wouldn’t even let you reason. I wouldn’t listen. You deserved better, and you still do.” Xisuma continued on. 

There were a few moments of silence before Xisuma spoke up again.

“You’re a better Doomslayer than I could ever be.” He admitted. This really caught Alex’s attention. “You’re already equipped for the Nether. You were able to see through the Council’s lies. You’re persistent, you’re determined, you’re...you’re good.” X stared down at the carpeted floor. 

The flightless ex-Admin got up, set Daisy down on the beanbag chair, and stepped towards his twin. He knelt down in front of him and gave Xisuma a hug. X looked up, a bit surprised.

“So, for the record...I’m better than you?” Alex said in a teasing tone. He was smiling. Xisuma laughed and hugged his brother back. 

“Yeah.” X let his tears fall onto Alex’s armour.

“But you’re still a better Admin than I could be. That, and also a better dad.” Alex let go.

X chuckled. “You’ve never been either, so who knows.”

Alex smiled, but it faded after a moment. “Hey...I’ve always wondered about this, but…why  _ did _ you say I was an evil clone? You could've said evil twin, or something. Both are pretty bad, but why  _ clone _ ?”

Xisuma looked away. “I’m not sure. I think I wanted to maintain my ‘mysterious’ vibe as well as distance myself from family. It was an on-the-spot decision and it never sat right with me. If anything, I’m  _ your _ evil clone.” 

Alex gave X a soft punch on the arm. “Hey, you don’t need to go into self-deprecation mode.” 

Xisuma looked back over. “I know, I know…”

“So can I go attack Etho now?” Alex joked.

Xisuma rolled his eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you land a hit on him.”

Alex stuck his tongue out and stood up. Xisuma glanced over at the beanbag where Daisy sat.

“You got a rabbit like Dad’s?” He asked.

Alex picked up the bunny. “‘Suma, this  _ is _ Dad’s rabbit.”

Xisuma blinked a couple of times in disbelief. “How is she still alive? It’s been like… more than two decades.” 

“No clue. I think she’s like a demon or something.” Alex chuckled and pet his rabbit. 

“Hey. I should probably give Dad’s armour back now.” Alex started to say.

“No.”

Alex looked at his brother. “What do you mean ‘no’?”

“Keep it. You deserve it.” X stood up. “It fits you.”

Alex maintained eye contact with his twin. “Wait, are you serious?”

The Admin nodded. “I think he would want you to have it.” 

Alex smiled, ignoring the tears in his eyes. “Thanks bro….What about you?”

“If it’s all good with you, I think I’ll wear the red one for a month or two, then switch back to my bee one. Gotta commit to Stridesuma now that a couple of people have seen it.” Xisuma explained.

“Ha! That’s great.” Alex replied.

“Glad you think so. Should we let the others back in?” Xisuma started walking towards the door.

“Yeah go ahead. By the way, how are you gonna manage to give Hels his own body? He told me you promised that to him.” Alex followed his brother, still holding Daisy.

“To be perfectly honest, I have no clue. I might have to see if Scar knows any wizards who could split the knights.” Xisuma went down the stairs. He equipped his helmet before stepping outside.

Biffa was sitting against an exterior wall next to Hels, who was playing on a DS. Grian was still hummingbird size, and was sitting in a tree, working on a birds’ nest. xB sat under the tree, talking away. The four of them looked over at the front door when they heard it open.

“Y’all can come back inside now.” Xisuma told them. Biffa nodded and stood up, followed by Hels. xB got up and looked above him where Grian was.

“Did you...build a birds’ nest?” The younger hermit asked. 

Grian stopped adjusting a stick and looked around him. “Oh my gosh I didn’t even realize what I was doing. I was on autopilot.” He peeked over the edge of the nest, looking down at xB. He hopped off the nest and fluttered down onto xB’s head, much to the confusion of the hermit.

“So you zoned out and built a nest?” xB asked with a laugh in his voice as he started walking towards the door.

“I mean, I guess?” Grian chirped, clearly as confused as xB.

The younger hermit snickered as he entered Xisuma’s house, closing the door behind him.

Xisuma and Alex were in the kitchen, preparing lunch together. xB hopped over to them, Grian still on his head.

“I’m guessing you two made up?” The young man asked. Xisuma nodded. Alex gave a thumbs-up before popping a strawberry into his mouth. On his shoulder was Daisy.

Biffa was watching Hels play on his DS over his shoulder, both men just standing in the middle of the room.

“Hey, Professor X, can I have my own body now?” Hels looked up from his game.

“I already told you, not at this moment. You will get one….I think.” X mumbled that last bit.

Biffa stepped around Hels and walked up to the counter, sitting down at one of the barstools. He smiled at the sight of the brothers getting along.

Grian looked around at his friends, his heart filling with joy. He loved his friends.

He pushed the thought of the inevitable back. He counted in his head the time. He thought about Mumbo. Would he have fixed the lift by now?

He was shaken out of his thoughts by Hels stomping up to Alex, setting down his DS, carefully removing the rabbit from the Nether man’s shoulder and setting her down on the counter before taking a big swing at Alex’s face.

The ex-Admin dodged easily and just stared at Hels. Xisuma put down his kitchen knife and turned to look at the Nether knight. 

“Why did you just try to hit me?” Alex spoke up after a tense moment of awkward silence.

“Cuz you promised a threat, and never delivered.” Hels said as if he was stating the obvious. “Now we gotta fight. I wanna see you try to melt my face off.”

Alex wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

“Alrighty. Let’s bring Wels back now.” Xisuma sighed like an exasperated mother.

Hels frowned. “No, I’m good.”

His voice changed, an indication that Wels was speaking. “Okay, I’m gonna go sort out my issues back at my base. I’m tired.” 

Hels rolled his eyes at the words Wels spoke. He picked up his DS and marched towards the door, grumbling back and forth with himself as he did so.

He gave a brief wave as he left. Once the door closed, Alex burst out laughing.

“Oh boy, it’s fun here ain’t it?” He leaned against Xisuma. The Admin smiled. 

“Oh! Before I forget…” Xisuma held his out in front of him, pulling up Admin files on his bracer. He typed in a command and looked at Alex.

“You’ve been whitelisted.” He told his twin. Alex looked confused.

“How was I here if I wasn’t whitelisted?” The nether man asked.

“That’s...a good question.” Xisuma said as the realization set in. “Not sure. Maybe it’s got something to do with magic, but I don’t know.” He looked to Biffa for help, but the ex-hermit just shrugged.

“Huh.” Xisuma let it go and continued making food.

Grian hopped off of xB’s head and returned to his normal size once he fluttered to the kitchen floor. 

“Wait guys, I’ve learned some things from cooking shows, let me help.” Grian offered.

“Yeah, you three make lunch. Uncle Biff and I’ll go play Mariokart or something.” xB laughed, and headed to the stairs. 

Biffa chuckled and followed him. He mouthed the word “sorry” to the other three. Xisuma pretended to look offended. 

“Fine! We don’t need your help!” He clearly joked, being overdramatic.

Biffa grinned and ran up the stairs after xB.

“Should we poison their food?” Alex suggested with a wink, pulling up his inventory.

Xisuma rolled his eyes. Both him and Grian laughed though.

“Verdict says no. Got it.” Alex smiled and closed his inventory. “Speaking of poison, a little bird told me you can’t have chocolate anymore.” Alex looked at Grian, who was washing his hands.

“Yeah. It sucks.” The bird dried his hands off. He looked up at Alex. “Don’t you go get any ideas now, Alex.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t.” Alex snickered. Grian couldn’t tell if he was serious or not.

Xisuma cut in. “Okay, so what are we making?” He realized that he had no clue what they were preparing. Grian and Alex laughed before figuring out what was for lunch.

* * *

“DAD!” Grumbot lunged off of the couch and ran towards the destruction. The explosion was big, but thankfully it didn’t damage the exterior walls of the HQ. Grum didn’t know what he would do if the place was flooded as well.

He ran into the crater and began digging through the rubble and debris. There hadn’t been a death message. They still had time.

The Jumbo family bots ran in to help Grum.

“Oh no oh no oh no” Grumbot mumbled over and over as he spotted his father underneath the debris. With the help from his robot relatives, he got the rubble off of the roboticist.

The twins, Zedbot, and Griandroid, who was carrying both Jrum and Sahara ran in. Mr. Jumbo pulled his son out of the destruction and set him aside so the situation could be assessed. 

Grum wasn’t able to hold his tears back at the state of his father. He was very bloodied. His right forearm and hand were charred, along with a good part of the right side of his body and face. His chest was pierced by pieces of shrapnel. Bits of broken clocks cut into the man. 

Grum didn't know what to do. What COULD they do? People were trying to talk to him, but he couldn’t hear them. The ringing in his ear from the blast still hadn’t subsided. 

He was shaken out of his thoughts by Amelia turning Grum’s head to face her.

“Grum! C’mon, we need to stabilize him so he doesn’t die!” She told him, urgency in her voice.

Grum nodded. 

Grum, Zedbot, Circuit, John, and Mr. Jumbo worked together to carefully lift Mumbo and bring him to one of the back rooms. Amelia ran in there first and set up a table to set her father on. 

The boys brought in the broken man, carefully setting him down on the table.

Amelia took charge. She handed gloves to Grum, Circuit, Zed, Grace and John.

“Dadroid, I need you, Gram, and Grandpa to watch over Jrum and Sahara while we do this. Work on fixing the damage to HQ.” She commanded.

Griandroid gave her a salute through the door frame. Mr. and Mrs. Jumbo gave her a nod, keeping their synthetic calm throughout the chaos. They left the makeshift hospital room, closing the door behind them.

Grum looked down at his unconscious father. 

“Grum. You understand emotion better than any of us. You’ll be in charge of his neurosurgery.” Amelia put on surgical gloves.

“S-surgery?” Grum felt like he missed something.

“Grum, Dad’s dying.” Circuit put on his own gloves. 

Grum tried to steady his breathing. “I know, I know...Are we gonna be able to save him?

“Well, we won’t if we keep wasting time!” Amelia closed her eyes. “I’m transferring data to you all. Then we can begin.”

Grum received a file folder which contained protocols and code that would allow the bots to perform surgery. He downloaded it and looked at his sister. He gave her a nod.

  
  
  


The first thing the bots had to do was stabilize Mumbo. Once they could make sure he wouldn’t die on them, then they could address the rest of the damage.

Zed was in charge of stabilization. He suggested they use an electromagnet to keep the shrapnel from the roboticist’s heart.

“Like Tony Stark.” He said as they worked.

Now that Mumbo wasn’t in critical condition, Circuit started drawing up a quick plan on a blueprint. 

“There’s no way that we can organically fix all this damage.” Circuit explained. He turned the paper around to show his plan. “We’ll need to make him a cyborg.”

Amelia nodded. “That’s where you come in, Grum. You’ll do his wires and nerves. Circuit board to brain. Operating system. All that.” 

Grum nodded slowly in response. “Got it.”

John brought out spare parts, which he and Grace started to sort through as modification on the man began. 

Grum was on autopilot as he watched his family replace pieces of his father. His right forearm and hand were completely mechanical. His left shoulder was repaired with circuitry. Robotics covered and replaced a good amount of the right side of his body. Zed switched out the electromagnet for a better functioning reactor. Metal plating was seamlessly joined with the man’s undamaged skin. His eyes had both been modified. His right was completely robotic, his left was repaired. Sacrifices had to be made to save his man. The kids couldn’t repair the damage to his tear ducts. He could no longer cry.

It was Grum’s turn.

He couldn’t quite remember exactly what happened. He opened the panel that now took up the right side of his father’s face and began his part. He remembered his hands were shaky, his synthetic heart was pounding, his legs felt unstable. He did his best to wire him correctly. Did he do it right? He must have. Amelia didn’t say otherwise.

It was finished.

Hours upon hours of work to save and repair the roboticist. 

Grum looked at his father. He was metal, like him, but not all the way.

Amelia took off her gloves and looked at her anxious brother.

“Grum...get some rest, you don’t look well.” She told him.

“What about Dad?” Grum asked, worry strong in his tone.

“He’ll be out for a few days. He’s going to be okay, Grum.” Amelia reassured him. Grum looked at Circuit and Zed, and then at his aunt and uncle, before returning his gaze to his sister.

“Alright…” Grum nodded and looked at his father one last time. 

He turned and left the room for the first time since they all went in there. He looked around at where the TARDIS had exploded. Griandroid cleaned up the destruction and organized the debris. 

The broken TARDIS was in a neat pile. Tools had been arranged back in their spots. The room looked almost the same as it had before the explosion, minus the disorganization of Mumbo’s workspace.

Grum walked into the room and stood in the middle of it. Something felt different.

It was quieter.

The ticking clocks were silent. Many of them got destroyed in the blast, but the ones that remained were broken. Their hands were stuck.

Grumbot walked to the door of the workshop and pushed it open.

When he saw the Hermitbots seemingly unaffected by the situation, it made Grum mad. These robots didn’t care about Mumbo. The only two Hermitbots who helped were Griandroid and Zedbot, but those two had shown human emotions prior to the blast. 

Grum looked around for his family, but they weren’t in the living room. He went into the hallway and went to the kids’ room. He opened the door and found who he was looking for. Mr. Jumbo was sitting on the floor, holding a sleeping Jrumbot. Mrs. Jumbo sat across from him on the carpet, cradling Sahara, who also looked asleep. Griandroid was seated, making a triangle out of the three of them. The adults looked to the door when it was opened.

Griandroid hopped up when he saw who it was. “Is he okay?” He rushed to his son.

Grum nodded and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. Griandroid stabilized the uneasy boy. 

“Are  _ you _ okay?” Griandroid asked.

“Y-yeah...Can we sit down?” Grumbot replied. Griandroid nodded and led Grum to where he had been sitting a moment ago. Grian sat back down and motioned for Grum to sit next to him. 

Grum took a seat before speaking. “Dad’s, uhm...a cyborg now. It was really the only thing we could do to save him.” He spoke softly. The boy looked at his sleeping siblings and felt a pang of jealousy. He wished he could just be cradled to sleep where he didn’t have to worry about everything.

“Is he still unconscious?” Mrs. Jumbo asked. Grum nodded.

“It’ll be a few days, Amelia said.” Grum answered, pulling on the ends of his sweater sleeves. He didn’t want to talk.

Mrs. Jumbo shared a look with her husband. 

“We’ll take these two kiddos and let you two talk.” Mr. Jumbo stood up, holding Jrumbot. He looked down at Grum.

“I’m proud of you and the others.” He gave his grandson a smile. Grum gave his best attempt at a smile back.

Mrs. Jumbo stood up with Sahara and walked over to Grum. She bent down and gave him a kiss on the forehead. His smile attempt improved a little.

She stood back up and followed her husband out of the room, taking the little kids to another bedroom.

Grum sat in silence next to Griandroid. Neither of them said a word for a few minutes.

Finally, Griandroid looked at Grum. “Do you need a hug?” 

Grum nodded, letting synthetic tears fall from his eyes as he turned towards his Dadroid and embraced him.

Griandroid rubbed Grum’s back to comfort the boy as he hugged him. Grum scooted closer and climbed up onto Griandroid’s lap. The robot father smiled sweetly at his son. Grum laid against Griandroid like a little kid. Grian took the hint and did his best to cradle the boy, which was easier said than done. Grum wasn’t exactly a small kid. But Dadroid did his best, and his best was good enough. Grum clung to his father’s red sweater as Griandroid began to sing him to sleep. His father’s heart beat steadily. Grum’s was erratic, but it gradually slowed down. His breathing became calm and his racing thoughts quieted down. 

The words which Griandroid sang faded as Grum let himself fall into sleep mode. The robot father gave his not-quite-human boy a few kisses on his head, now understanding the feeling of pride that started Mumbo’s obsession with fatherhood. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, i took so long to finish this chapter that someone thought the story ended last chapter. I just kept getting interrupted when I would sit down to write this one.  
> Btw the thing I used for the summary was written by an amazing spoon (miss you bro-)
> 
> MAN  
> Writing the surgery thing was so hecking hard bc I never thought about the specifics of it before, I just knew the general idea. 
> 
> I don’t really have much to say  
> I’ve had a very emotional week haha  
> Also FedEx baited me and now I’m still waiting for my package
> 
> I feel like this chapter is missing a part, but I don’t know
> 
> BTW BTW BTW  
> BY THE WAY  
> OKAY  
> MUMBO STOLE *MY* IDEA  
> I’VE BEEN PLANNING TO TURN MUMBO INTO A CYBORG LONG BEFORE MUMBO’S HALLOWEEN EP  
> THAT’S WHY I WAS FREAKING OUT OVER THAT EPISODE  
> OH MY GOSH I WAS GONNA DO IT FIRST


	48. Clockwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Marvin walked into a helpless land  
> And wondered lightly: Am I happy?  
> Is this happy?”

**Season 5**

* * *

Mumbo ran around his ocean base. He was always misplacing his items, despite having a storage system. He would be meeting up with Iskall later today, and he still hadn’t found his elytra.

Finally, after a solid hour of getting distracted and a bit frustrated, he located his equippable wings. He took them out of the chest that he had passed over a dozen times during his search and sat down, out of breath. 

“Man, I really need help around here, don’t I?” Mumbo chuckled to himself as he looked down at his watch. 

“Oh my goodness gracious, I’m gonna be late.” He hopped up and put his elytra on, running outside of his base and using a rocket to take off into the sky.

* * *

**That Night**

* * *

Mumbo returned to his base, tired, but still laughing. Iskall was always a blast to hang with. He loved his best friend. 

Something had been on his mind all day though. He had an idea that he couldn’t wait to plan out. 

The Redstoner grabbed a set of blueprints from a chest and sat down on the ground. He pulled out a white coloured pencil and began sketching.

“I need some helpers.” He said outloud to himself. He looked at the plans he drew.

“Two of em.” He decided and drew up another set of plans on another set of blueprints. “And I need to be able to tell them apart easily.” He made sure it was obvious which one was which.

“Look at them!” He grinned to himself. “Mini Mumbos!” 

On the first set of prints was a plan for a robot boy. Next to him was written “Circuit”. He looked like young Mumbo, minus the glasses, cross eyes, and crooked teeth. The second set of prints held a plan for an almost identical bot, except this one was a female. Next to her was written “Amelia”. She wore a bow tie while her twin wore a tie.

“Little helper clones! I’m a genius!” He smiled and stood up, realizing how tired he really was. He set the plans aside and dragged himself to bed.

* * *

**Season 7**

* * *

Mumbo flew off in the direction of his base. He was very excited. He had just become a father and he couldn’t get enough. 

His mind was brought to the two helper clone bots he had started building back a couple of seasons before. He never ended up finishing them; He got too busy. But now, he was motivated. He was happier than he had been in so long. 

The man landed at his base and ran inside. He was jumping around as he looked for where he had stored the bots. He threw open a storage closet and grinned at the sight of the unfinished androids inside.

Mumbo took some deep breaths. He stepped towards them and cupped Amelia’s face in his hands. He felt that immense sense of pride that he felt towards Grumbot and Jrumbot. 

These robots couldn’t be his clones. No no, that wouldn’t do.

These robots would be his children. That was perfect. He was very glad he never ended up finishing them to be his clones. 

He gave his almost-daughter a kiss on the head before turning to his almost-son. He gave him a kiss as well and hugged them both, almost brought to tears at the thought of almost being their father. 

He wanted to finish them as quickly as possible. He wanted to hear their voices, see their smiles, feel their hugs. They already had some programming in them from Season 5, but it was basically all basic coding. There was probably some base programming for their obedience, but that could stay. 

Mumbo picked both of them up, each under one of his arms. Mumbo was fairly strong. Who needs to go to the gym when your everyday jobs are workout enough?

He ran-skipped his way out of his base, holding a rocket in his hand as he held onto his almost-kids tightly. He launched himself up into the air, not getting as much velocity as he would normally due to the added weight of two robot kids. 

He glided towards his new children with his almost-children in tow. He couldn’t help himself from laughing in glee and pure unadulterated joy. 

He hadn’t thought of Grian the whole time, and he felt okay.

* * *

**7 Years Ago**

* * *

Mumbo sat on a pretty wooden bench swing underneath a weeping willow tree, hidden in his favourite place, his “secret garden”. It was very late at night, but this wasn’t the first time he had snuck out at midnight to be here. The cool night air felt refreshing. He had his arm around his favourite person in the world. 

He turned to look at Natalie, who rested her head against his shoulder. Her fingers were interlaced with his and she had her other arm around his waist. He smiled sweetly and rested his head on top of hers. 

She was humming a song he had written for her. She could tell the exact moment that he realized what she was humming. He squeezed her hand tighter and she didn’t need to see his face to know he was blushing. 

She wanted to see it anyways. Natalie turned her head towards her boyfriend, pushing his head up as she did so. He sat up and looked at her, his face indeed red. She giggled softly and leaned forwards, giving him a kiss on the lips. He smiled and leaned into it gladly, wrapping his arms around her. 

Natalie pulled away and stared into his brown eyes. She smiled lovingly, and he did as well in return.

“I love you.” She said, maintaining eye contact. 

“I love you too.” He replied, not wanting to break eye contact.

Natalie chuckled and looked forward. 

“Does your mum know you sneak out at night?” The brunette asked teasingly. 

“Does yours?” Mumbo teased back. Natalie smiled, still looking ahead. 

“Nope.” She answered.

“Neither does mine.” Mumbo laughed. There was a minute of two of silence, but it wasn’t awkward in the slightest. They had each other’s company, and so words weren’t needed.

Mumbo started going over his plan in his head. He hadn’t really told Natalie about it, but it involved her, so he needed to tell her at some point. 

His heart started pounding in his ears. He took a shaky breath and spoke up.

“Uhm...Nat?” Mumbo’s voice was barely more than a whisper. She turned to look at him. He only got quiet like this when he had something on his mind, and she could tell that he was nervous about what he was about to say.

“What is it, MJ?” Her eyes sparkled under the moonlight that came in through the hanging willow branches.

“So...y-you know how we’re gonna go to Uni together?” 

Natalie nodded. 

“I-, uhm...have this stupid little dream…” He looked up into her eyes, and then quickly looked away. He hadn’t felt this anxious around her in so long. He felt like his Sophomore self again, nervous and kind of sweaty. “N-never mind, it’s silly.” He stammered out. “Plus...it feels weird to say it since we’re not even in college yet…” He mumbled the last sentence quietly.

“Your dreams aren’t stupid or silly, luv.” Natalie said, holding his hand and maintaining the eye contact that Mumbo kept breaking.

He gulped and took a deep breath.

“I can’t stop thinking about us in college. I keep imagining us still dating while there, and...and getting m-married.” He managed to whisper. 

Natalie smiled. “You're not the only one.” She said softly. 

Mumbo’s eyes widened. “You-” He looked at her with amazement and relief.

“Yeah, my parents keep saying ‘oh, you should marry Mumbo when you’re in college.’” Natalie half-joked.

Mumbo couldn’t help but feel disappointed. “Oh.” He looked away.

“Psh, silly boy, I was kidding.” She leaned up and kissed him on his jaw. “I meant me.”

He looked back at her, his heart racing once more. “R-really?”

She smiled softly and cuddled against him on the swing. “Yes, really. If things work out, I’d like to marry you. Consider this my pre-proposal, for later.”

“B-but- I-, you-” He stuttered, not able to find his words. His eyes lit up and he leaned over, pulling something out his backpack he brought. He held up a bag of Haribo Starmix, reached in, and took out a gummy ring. He put the Haribo bag back in his backpack and hopped off the swing. He stood in front of Natalie and knelt down on one knee, holding up the ring.

“Natalie, here’s my pre-proposal.” 

Natalie grinned and stood up. She stepped forwards and took his hand, having him stand up. She nodded, and he put the gummy ring on her hand, and in sudden romantic fashion, he dipped her down and kissed her, holding on tightly to her. She held onto him and let him be the romantic dork she’d fallen in love with.

* * *

**A Couple Of Months Later**

* * *

Mumbo followed his new Admin, XisumaVoid. He was excited. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut. He rambled on and on to the Doomslayer about his Redstone creations. 

Xisuma smiled. The boy might have looked older than he really was, but his hyperactivity made it clear that he wasn’t. Xisuma found it honestly refreshing.

Xisuma was also glad to have someone closer to xB’s age joining as a Hermit. It would be good for the boy.

“And that’s the one I was working on when you met me!” Mumbo grinned, the Letterman’s gap in his teeth making him look even younger. 

“It seems like you really know your redstone!” Xisuma noted.

“Yeah, it’s my favourite thing. I do not recommended tasting it though.” The teenager shuddered. “It tastes like electric glitter.”

Xisuma laughed. “Good to know.” 

Mumbo liked this guy. He was cool and mysterious. He also was dressed like Doomguy, which catered to Mumbo’s love for video games.

“Do you like Doom?” Mumbo asked, kicking himself for how stupid his question was. He hoped his new Admin wouldn’t think he was dumb.

“Yeah! I love it.” Xisuma said happily, a smile in his voice. “You probably could tell.” 

Mumbo felt relieved. “Yeah.” He laughed as well.

As Xisuma took Mumbo to the Hermitcraft server, the young man couldn’t help but feel like he had forgotten to do something.

But he often felt like that.

He shrugged the feeling away.

* * *

**A Month Later**

* * *

Mumbo sat on his bed, late at night, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his pullo ver hoodie. He stared down at a bag of Haribo in his hands, letting tears fall onto them. He took out a single piece.

A gummy ring.

He cried harder and clutched the ring tightly.

He  _ had _ forgotten something.

He had forgotten Natalie.

His best friend.

His girlfriend.

He had turned his back on her.

He had promised.

He sobbed while thinking of that night where he gave her a gummy ring. They had pre-proposed to each other.

He felt like rubbish.

He was so alone.

So very alone. 

He loved her so much, his heart hurt to think about her.

He wanted to apologize, but he was so far from home.

Would she understand?

Did his parents tell her?

She must hate him.

Mumbo didn’t want to think about that though. He just let himself think of her holding him in her arms as he rocked back and forth. He put the gummy on his ring finger and pulled his arms into his sleeves.

He didn’t want to tell Xisuma. He didn’t want to have to go home and never come back. He loved it here already. He loved his fellow hermits. 

Maybe he could visit her in between the seasons?

He laid down and wrapped himself in a blanket, crying until he was too tired to stay awake any longer.

Strangely, crying always made him feel better. 

* * *

**Season 7**

* * *

Mumbo brushed his currently-brown hair out of his eyes. He readjusted his burgundy jacket and stood up. He would be moving out of his hobbit hole soon, so he wouldn’t be wearing his suit for much longer. 

A shame, he thought. He quite liked the colour.

Mumbo walked to his door, and when he opened it he saw Grian walking towards his base.

“Oh! Grian! Hello!” Mumbo smiled. Grian didn’t return the smile.

“Mumbo, uhm...did your messages get lost?” Grian walked up to the tall hobbit, the oxymoron of a moron. 

“My messages?” Mumbo remembered he had forgotten to send messages to his friend.

“Yeah...I hadn’t gotten any messages from you the last couple of weeks, and you never responded to mine.” Grian explained. 

Mumbo thought about the stack of letters piled up on his desk. He meant to write replies, he really did.

The hobbit chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry dude, I got scatterbrained again. You know me, a big ol’ spoon.” 

Grian frowned. “Yeah okay. I don’t want your excuses. You do this ALL THE TIME. Always blowing me off.”

“I-...what?” 

Mumbo froze. He looked around. Was this...was this how this happened?

He didn’t remember Grian saying that. This must be a dream...right?

Grian seemed much more meaner than in reality…

Was this reality?

Maybe his time machine did work. Maybe he was really back in the past, but that made no sense.

“Well? Got any other lame excuses, Bumbo?” Grian said his current name, but with annoyance.

“Grian, I don’t understand...What’s gotten into you?”

Grian scoffed. “What’s gotten into ME? Oh boy, you better be kidding me.” 

Mumbo took a step back. 

“Grian, I’ve seen this before! I’ve been here before, you didn’t say this to me!” Mumbo kept backing up as Grian walked forwards.

“What are you, a filthy time traveler?” Grian sneered, walking forwards and forcing Mumbo to walk up against a wall.

“You time traveled!” Mumbo tried to find some reason for all of this.

“I did it for the good of the server, you spoon. You’re doing it for selfish reasons. You  _ do _ realize if you go back in time, you could potentially destroy the server.” Grian narrowed his eyes.

“I- I know that! I’m being careful!” Mumbo couldn’t back up anymore.

“Well, it’s your fault if our kids stop existing.” Grian replied coldly and with disdain.

“Okay, now I’m certain this is a dream or something. Grum and the others didn’t exist at this point.” Mumbo stepped to the side and ran for the door.

The hobbit hole around him started falling apart.

He was suddenly in excruciating pain. He felt like he too was falling apart. He turned to look at Grian as the world shattered and fell into nothing, leaving the two of them in a void of sorts.

Grian’s eyes glinted with malicious intent, something that Mumbo had never seen from the hermit. 

“You already took them away from me once, you disaster of a man. I won’t let you do it again.” Two holes ripped open on the back of Grian’s red sweater, his purple bird wings opening wide.

“Grian, c’mon dude, you don’t need to do this!” Mumbo looked around for something to keep him grounded, but there was nothing around. Pitch black void.

“Mumbo, look how terrible you are! You’re putting everyone through so much pain because you’re selfish and egotistical.” Grian became eight feet tall, his voice deepening in the middle of his sentence. His sweater fell apart and he stepped up in front of the hobbit.

“You abandon everyone for your own gain. You left your girlfriend to run off and become a hermit. You dropped Iskall to be my best friend because you became tired of the Swede. You left me and locked yourself and  _ our _ kids in the HQ and didn’t let them out.” Grian was absolutely terrifying in this form.

Mumbo heard his friend say the words that always ran in the back of his mind. They stabbed every part of his body. He felt like he was being cut up and put back together.

“I know! I know! Don’t you think I feel awful?!” Mumbo backed up again, tripping over his own feet. He stumbled and fell backwards, hitting the voided floor. 

His eyes stung with tears but nothing came out.

“You’re no friend. You’re no father. You’re just a spoon. That’s all you’ll ever be.”

“STOP IT!” Mumbo cried out and covered his head with his arms.

“Poor little Mumbo Jumbo. He never grew up, did he?” Grian mocked the distressed hermit.

“I hate you!” Mumbo exclaimed, surprised at the sudden rage he felt.

Grian smirked. “That’s more like it. Come and get me.” He flew up into the void. 

Mumbo shot up and ran on the ground, following where Grian was flying overhead. He tripped over his feet again, falling forwards. He braced to slam into the ground, but he merely fell. And fell. And fell.

Falling was feeling familiar to him.

As he fell, he yelled out at Grian. He wasn’t calling for his help. He didn’t want his help. He just hoped Grian knew how awful that pesky bird was. 

He yelled until his voice was raspy. He still fell. 

He looked down below him. Nothing.

But he hit something.

It was soft, but everything was still pitch black and lightless, yet he could still see. As he turned to see where he had fallen from, he was hit in the head by a clock that had apparently been falling after him. 

It didn’t hurt, but it gave him an idea.

He picked up the clock, still on the soft void ground. He smashed the glass with his fist, now realizing that he was in his normal suit. He pulled the arms off of the face of the clock, destroying its numbered disk until he could see the gears inside. He stared at the mechanism. A simple thing, but so very important for the running of society. He wished he could be like this. Necessary and smoothly operating. And even if he broke, he would still be right twice a day. He wanted the efficiency of the cogs and gears. He wanted to be…

“Like clockwork.” He said out loud to nobody.

He looked around. There was still nothing. Why was the ground soft? 

And then he considered something he hadn’t before.

Had he died?

Was this what death was?

He didn’t think so, though.

He felt like he could wake up, but that he needed to try harder.

He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.

Something cold and wet hit his face. Hit his head. His hands. The ground around him. Soft at first, then heavier and sharper. 

He opened his eyes. The void was crying.

“No, that’s rain. Why would a void cry?” He said out loud again to himself.

As he looked down at the clock, he could see the gears had stopped turning. The mechanism was broken. 

He spotted the culprit.

A watertight feather was stuck between the gears, stopping the clock. Mumbo felt that same rage within him as he pulled the feather out of the gears. He was surprised to feel it send an electric current through him. Once he got the feather out, which destroyed the feather in the process, the gears continued turning.

The clock kept ticking.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

His heart synced with the ticking. He felt steady. He felt efficient.

“Like Clockwork.” He said again.

He woke up.

  
  


When the roboticist opened his eyes, he was suddenly aware of how much pain he was in. Everything felt off. Why was he cold? 

Slowly, the man sat up. He was in his bed and it was dark. Still, there was a faint blue light coming from somewhere. He looked around for the source. As he did so, he spotted his hand and his eyes widened. He raised his hand to his face, inspecting it in fear and worry. He could move it just like it was part of it.

But that was it, wasn’t it. It WAS part of him. It was metal. It had joints that glowed with an electric blue light, one that ran down his forearm. The metal stopped a little bit under his elbow. 

His eyes were drawn down to a glowing blue disk on his chest, coming from underneath his shirt. 

The Redstoner looked down the front of his shirt, staring at what looked like an arc reactor. It was connected to metal that ran down the right side of his body. He saw it led up to his collarbone. He hesitantly touched his neck, hearing the gentle clank of his metal hand to metal on his neck. He raised his face and touched the right side of his face, hearing the same metal clank.

He put his hand over his right eye. 

He touched the other side of his face with his other hand, both relieved and panicked that it was skin. 

He wanted to scream, but what good would that do him? He felt his nose sting and he started to breath choppily, as if he was crying.

But there were no tears.

He wasn’t crying.

He couldn’t cry.

He could only make the sounds of crying.

Someone must have heard him.

The door to the room opened. 

In ran little Jrumbot, who hopped up onto the bed. He jumped into the man’s lap, hugging him tightly. He made his own crying sounds.

“Don’t cwy Papa! I stiww wuv you!” 

Those words felt familiar. 

“Jrum?” The cyborg looked down at his son’s face.

“You don’t gotsa be sad! Wook! You’we a coow wobot wike me now!” Jrum tried to cheer his father up. The roboticist felt so disconnected.

“And wook! You got an awc weactow wike Iwon Man! You couwd be a supahewo! Wike Daddy” Jrum touched the glowing disk on his father’s chest.

The cyborg knew one thing for sure. He didn’t want to be anything like that bird. 

He knew in his heart that he hated Grian.

“No.” The man said firmly.

“Huh?” Jrum was confused.

“We already have a superhero. What we need...is a super _ villain _ .”

A twisted smile grew on the newly roboticized roboticist’s face.

Jrum’s eyes widened in fear.

“W-what?”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MWAHAHA FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY  
> OH MY GOSH FINALLY  
> OH MY HECKING GOSH THIS HAS BEEN PLANNED FOR SO LONG, EVEN LONGER THAN HIM BECOMING A CYBORG  
> OH MY GOSH  
> OH MAN  
> OOOOOHHHHHH MANNNNNN  
> HAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA I CAN’T STOP LAUGHING THIS IS GREAT


	49. Bad Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tick tock goes the clock  
> And all the years, they fly  
> Tick tock, and all too soon  
> You and I must die

The man stood up, picking his son up and setting him back down the bed. He was wearing sweats and a plain t-shirt. 

That wouldn’t do.

If he was going to be a supervillain, he needed to look the part. His mind was drawn to his collection of outfits that he used to dress the Hermitbots. This was his bedroom, and he recalled storing the rest of them in his closet. He walked forwards and opened the closet door, smiling as he pulled out a box of various costumes and clothes.

“Papa, what do you mean?” Jrum hopped off the bed and approached his father. 

“Exactly what I said. I’m going to be a supervillain.” The Redstoner replied, his tone seeming a bit off.

The man dug through the box and pulled out a set of clothes. A lab coat,boots, and a jumpsuit sort of thing. He looked at his son.

“Am I able to communicate with the Hermitbots remotely?” He asked. Jrum shrugged. 

“I’m not suwe…” The baby mumbled. The man’s eye twitched. 

“Speak up. Don’t mutter your words.” He ordered the child. Jrum nodded quickly, unfamiliar with the bossy tone his father spoke with.  “Now what did you say, Jrum?” The roboticist asked in the same firm voice.

“I-...I said I’m not suwe.” The baby bot spoke clearly this time, resulting in a nod from his father.

“Alright.” The cyborg closed his eyes and attempted to message a couple of his drones.

A minute later, two robots opened the door. It was BDroid and StressBot. 

“Ah yes. Perfect. You two, I need you to take these clothes and make them villainy. Clocks and such. Cool lights. A mix of steampunk and futuristic. Be quick about it.” The man ordered the robots, handing them the set of clothes. They nodded obediently and hurried off to complete the task. 

The man smiled. He stood up and went into his bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. It was a bit disorienting to see himself like this, but the more he looked at himself, the more natural it felt. He was glad to see his mustache was still intact. His hair was a mess, and it was still long-ish. 

He squinted at his reflection. The man picked up a thing of hair gel and slicked his hair back with a smile. He washed his hands, a bit hesitant at first for his metal replacement, but quickly became fine with it. He dried them off on a towel and stepped back into his bedroom, where Jrum sat on the bed again. He looked distressed.

“What’s the matter, Jrum?” The cyborg stepped up to his son. Jrum looked up at the tall Englishman and blinked.

“Well?” The man seemed to quickly grow impatient.

“Do you need a hug, Papa?” Jrum asked innocently.

The man stared down at his child, his gaze cold. He silently got on his knees and opened his arms. Jrum’s face lit up and he jumped into his father’s arms and hugged him tightly. 

The little baby gave his father a kiss on the cheek and giggled. The roboticist suddently didn’t feel so cold. 

“What a precious little baby.” He smiled and gave the boy a kiss on the forehead, his demeanor doing a 180. 

He made a few observations as he hugged his child.

One: His metal hand couldn’t feel things as well as his organic one. 

Two: He was in immense pain, but seemed fine with it.

And three: Now that he was a robot, he felt connected to his baby.

The last was both literal and metaphorical. It was literal because his network could connect to Jrum’s, just like the robots could do with each other. It was metaphorical in the sense that now he was metal, like his child. 

The man looked down at his robotic arm. There was a part of it with exposed gears. A small clock was part of the mechanism. He liked that. The clock told him it was 2 AM. His internal clock confirmed, and also informed him that he had blown up 2 days prior. He felt well-rested.

The Redstoner picked up his little baby and sat down against the side of his bed. He felt vastly different than he had minutes ago, a change that Jrum noticed. 

He wanted to cuddle his baby forever and shower him in love and kisses. Jrum gladly let him do so. He missed the attention.

The roboticist smiled lovingly at his boy. Jrum was kind of confused. How could his father talk of hating his other father and then turn around and act like everything was normal?

Jrum didn’t linger on that thought for long. It was hard to think of sad things when being cuddled and loved. He kept giggling and being happy, feeling tired. He began to drift off into sleep mode. 

The man began to do the same.

He was snapped awake hours later by someone tapping him gently on the shoulder. He woke up and saw that it was BDroid and StressBot. They handed him back the set of clothes he sent them off with, but now it was customized. He grinned and stood up, setting sleeping Jrum down on the bed and taking the clothes.

“Thank you.” He nodded to the drones. They nodded.

“Of course, sir.” StressBot said, with little vocal inflection.

BDroid didn’t respond. He had gone into sleep mode. StressBot snapped her fingers in front of his face and his eyes opened. 

“Sorry.” He apologized and walked out of the room with Stress.

The man took the clothes into his bathroom and changed into them. 

He stared at his reflection. He admired his new look and how cool it was. His arc reactor glowed, a clock design over it. The suit had lights running through it, and so did the lab coat. The coat had been modified to be like a villainous trench coat of sorts. His sleeves were rolled up, and little clocks adorned the outfit. He had a pair of steampunk styled goggles on his head. He looked at his left hand. It felt out of place with the rest of him.

“I need a gauntlet for this one.” He told himself. 

He smirked at himself before turning to leave. He stepped to the door of his bedroom, his internal clock telling him it was now around 7 AM. His countless analog clocks did so as well. 

When he opened his door, he was greeted by Grumbot, who stepped back with wide eyes at the sight of his father.

“D-dad?” Grum surveyed his father’s new attire.

“Hello Grum.” The roboticist smiled and gave his son a kiss on the head.

“I take it you’re feeling better?” Grum asked with hesitation.

“Much better.” There was a glint in his father’s eye that made the boy feel uneasy. “So much better that I might just finish up some projects here and fix the lift.” 

Grum smiled in surprise. “Really?”

The cyborg nodded. “If I’m going to kill Grian, then I have to be where he is.” He began to walk away from his son. 

Grum’s joy shattered. “What?!” His eyes grew even wider. “K-kill Dad?” 

The man froze, his shoulders tense. He whipped around, his eyes full of anger.

“Don’t you ever, EVER, refer to that man as your father.” He snapped at Grum. The boy was in complete shock.

“Do you understand me?” He stepped up to his son, looking down at him intimidatingly. 

Grum nodded. “Y-yes.”

“Yes  _ sir. _ ” The man squinted at the boy.

“Y-yes sir.” Grum felt like he was about to cry. His father’s demeanor softened.

“Now give your father a hug.” He smiled sweetly as if he hadn’t just yelled.

Grum did as he was told and hugged his cabinet man of a father. His dad gave him a bunch of kisses on his head, telling him how much he loved him.

Grum was conflicted and confused.

The man let go and gave his son a proud smile before turning around. Griandroid was standing behind him.

“Wow! I like your new outfit, Mumbo!” Griandroid grinned. The man’s smile disappeared.

“What did you call me?” He squinted and leaned towards the robot.

“Your name? Mumbo?” Griandroid was confused.

The man began to be angry again. Grum took a step back.

“That’s  _ not _ my name. I’m not that imbecilic spoon.” He spoke firm and loudly. 

“I-...huh?” Griandroid looked to Grum for help.

“You will never call me by that name again, got it?” The man got in close to Griandroid’s face, making the robot back up.

“G-got it. What do I call you then?” Griandroid blinked rapidly. When he backed up, the roboticist stepped forwards, keeping close. 

“By my name. Dr. Clockwork.” He said the name as if it had been his all his life.

“Gotcha. Dr. Clockwork.” Griandroid gave a weak smile. Once he called the cyborg by this name, his face softened into a happy grin. 

“Thank you.” Clockwork’s disposition was suddenly sunny and he gave the robot a quick peck on the cheek, which both confused and overjoyed the droid. 

Clockwork stood up straight and walked down the hall into the main room. When he did so, Grum and Griandroid urgently sent a warning to the others on their side; the twins, Sahara, Zedbot, and the Jumbo robots. 

Grum walked over to Griandroid, panic in his every movement. “What the heck happened to him?” Grum’s eyes were full of tears, and he tried to keep himself from crying. 

“Something’s wrong.” Griandroid stated the obvious. Grum nodded and threw his arms around his fully-robotic father, hugging him tightly. Griandroid hugged him back.

Clockwork’s bedroom door opened and Jrumbot ran out, spotting his brother and father. 

“We bwoke Papa!” Jrum cried. Grum bent down quickly to comfort his baby brother. 

“No, it wasn’t your fault. You weren’t there, Jrum.” Grum’s thoughts began to race. Was it something they had done? Was it because of the explosion? The surgery? Was it Grum’s fault? 

Grum let go of Jrum, who held onto him still. The boy stood up, picking his brother up with him. Griandroid looked at the two of them. 

“We’re running out of time.” 

Clockwork watched his Hermitbots with a twisted smile. He nodded proudly and entered his workshop. He paused once inside, looking around at the sheer lack of clocks. There had been so many before.

He spotted a pile of broken timepieces mixed in with whole ones. The ones that weren’t destroyed looked intact, but were all frozen. They  _ looked _ complete and functional, but in reality, they were broken. 

Clockwork shrugged and approached his work bench. He was about to pull out a set of blueprints when he hesitated. He realized that the plans he was thinking of started to form in his head, creating the schematics he would have drawn out on paper. He felt functional.

Clockwork looked at his organic hand and began creating plans for a weaponized gauntlet. He lifted his boot and looked at the bottom of it, designing plans for a rocket thruster modification for his shoes. 

He laughed as he walked with purpose to his supplies. He loved how his coat flew behind him. 

He began with work, more efficient than ever. 

And despite all the original clocks in the room being broken, the ones on his outfit continued the steady ticking he had come to rely upon.

The continuous ticking in his head and in his chest added to the metronomic rhythm, but it was louder than he had ever heard it.

It didn’t bother him.

In fact, it was comforting.

  
  


The twins were with Sahara and Zedbot when Grum and Griandroid messaged them. Circuit had been playing with his little sister while Amelia had been drawing Zed.

When the message came in, all four of them froze.

“Amelia…” Circuit looked up at his twin, his eyes full of terror. His sister set down her sketchbook and stood up. Zedbot looked over at Circuit.

“Oh no, we accidentally made Obadiah Stane instead.” Zed lightly joked.

“Zed-.” Amelia told him.

“You’re right, it’s not the time for jokes. Sorry” Zedbot stood up as well. 

Sahara sat quietly in her brother’s lap. She had gotten the same message her siblings and Zed had gotten.

Her mother was a villain. 

But what did that mean?

He yelled at Griandroid for not calling him Clockwork...did that mean he would yell at them too?

The little girl stood up while her siblings discussed the upsetting news. She bolted for the door.

“Sahara, wait!” Circuit called out to her. She pushed open the door and left the room.

The little girl ran down the hallway, looking for her mother. It couldn’t be true, could it?

She entered the main room, scanning the crowd of Hermitbots for the roboticist. When she couldn’t spot him, she turned to his workshop door.

Slowly, she approached the door, hesitantly pushing it open.

He was inside, working on something.

Clockwork grinned as he got his materials prepared for his project. Just as he was about to begin, he heard the workshop door creak open. He didn’t look to see who entered, merely waited for them to speak.

He heard the voice of his youngest daughter Sahara as she said hello. He smiled and turned to greet her.

She stepped back in surprise when she saw him fully. Clockwork frowned.

“You don’t need to be scared, darling.” He spoke softly and knelt down.

Sahara felt a bit better. He didn’t  _ seem _ so scary.

She stepped towards him and looked at his robotic eye. It was strange to see him like this.

“I’m still me.” He reassured her. He had a kind smile on his face. The little girl gave him a hug and he returned it gladly. Once she let go, she looked up at him.

“Awe you weawwy a bad guy now, M-...Dr. Cwockwowk?” She asked in almost a whisper.

His smile disappeared and his loving expression turned cold and sharp. He stood up, looking down at the little child, towering over her.

“ _ Firstly _ , speak up. Don’t mumble your words.” He spoke firmly, the sudden loudness of his voice startling the girl.

“ _ Secondly,  _ I am your  _ father _ . You will address me as such, and nothing else.” He spoke harshly.

Sahara held back tears. “B-but you’we my mama-”

“WHAT?” Clockwork’s looked insulted.

She spoke up, repeating herself. “You’we my mama…”

“Child, I am  _ not _ your mother. I  _ never _ have been and I  _ never _ will be.” 

“But when you buiwt me, you said you were my mama!” Sahara tried to explain.

“That  _ foolish _ Mumbo is the one who said that. But I am  _ not _ Mumbo. Since I am  _ not _ Mumbo, you will  _ not _ call me your mother, do you understand me?” His words pierced her heart.

She nodded, on the verge of tears.

“I am your father. And yes, I’m a villain. But I am  _ still _ your father. Furthermore, just because I am  _ the _ bad guy, it doesn't mean I am  _ a _ bad guy.”

“S-sowwy Papa.” Sahara found herself saying as synthetic tears rolled down her face. Clockwork flinched at the sight of them.

“D-don’t do that. Stop doing that.” He motioned towards her teary face. He looked shaken. 

Sahara quickly wiped her eyes, holding back her tears. “Sowwy.” She almost mumbled, but caught herself in time to speak loud and clear. 

“You are a very obedient daughter.” Clockwork noted, regaining his composure. He knelt down once more.

“Give your _father_ a hug.” He commanded, but in a softer voice. She nodded and did as she was told. He nuzzled his face against hers sweetly and gave her a couple of kisses on the cheek. 

The affection felt sincere, but Sahara didn’t know this stranger who claimed he loved her. 

She let go of the hug and ran towards the door. Clockwork watched her run off, standing up. He thought nothing more on the matter and turned back to his work.

Sahara ran out the door, planning to go back to where her siblings were, but to her relief, they had been waiting outside the door.

Amelia could see the distress on her little sister’s face instantly. She got on her knees and let Sahara run into a hug. The moment Amelia’s arms were around her sister, the little girl started sobbing. Amelia looked at her twin and Zedbot.

“It’s worse than we thought.” The older sister stood up, holding tightly onto the little girl.

Grum sat at his desk in his room, his artificial anxiety higher than he had ever felt it before. His face was wet with synthetic tears, his mechanical heart racing as if it were trying to keep up with his erratic thoughts.

He looked down at his shaky hands, taking in a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. It didn’t work, but he continued to manually slow his breathing.

He opened up his journal on his desk and picked up a pen. He turned to the next blank page and began to pour his thoughts onto the paper. He expressed his fears and worries. He wrote every thought that came to his mind. 

As he did so, he started to think about the surgery. His family had their own parts they did for the operation, but none of those would have been able to mess up their father like this.

He knew he must have done this.

It was his fault that his father was plotting murder and vengence against someone who used to be his best friend.

Against someone who was Grum’s father.

As he thought about Grian, he couldn’t stop remembering how Mumbo-....”Clockwork” yelled at him. He had never been more scared of his father. It was terrifying to see him fly off the handle like that. Grum felt disconnected. 

It wasn’t the cybernetics or the new outfit that made the roboticist unrecognizable. It was his body language, his walk, his expressions. How he said words, how he acted towards Grum and Griandroid. 

Jrum had told Grum how their father could now communicate with the Hermitbots. Grum found himself being relieved at the fact that he couldn’t directly communicate with the kids.

When Mumbo had built the kids, he connected them through a private network. When he built his family, he put them on the same network. But when Mumbo built the Hermitbots, he connected them through a separate private network. The reason that Griandroid, and now Zedbot, were connected to the kids’ network was because Grum granted them access. Since he was the first robot that Mumbo finished, he was sort of the main device in the network. He had control over who was in the network and who was not.

So unless Grum allowed Clockwork access to the more secure network, he wouldn’t be able to directly communicate with them.

_ It’s for the best, right now. _ He thought to himself. 

He began to write about his hopes. He hoped for a better outcome to the situation. He hoped his feathered father would save them. He hoped the bird would save the roboticist. 

As he daydreamed about a better life, a message came in from Amelia.

It read: 

“If we [the kids] refer to him as anything other than our father, he’ll snap. Sahara called him Clockwork, and he yelled. She then called him her mother, and he yelled. He got uneasy when she cried. He yelled when she mumbled. He then tried to be kind.

We’re going to have to tread lightly. Any wrong move might send him off.

This is worse than anything I could have imagined.”

As he read those words over and over in his head, his heart sank. Was there really no hope? Was this really who his father had become?

Grum pushed his new thoughts out of his head and onto the page, unsure if he felt any better.

  
  


Clockwork tinkered with the gauntlet he was building. One of his human flaws began to show itself again.

As he worked, he started to wander into his thoughts. He thought about his interaction with Sahara. Why did her tears make him uncomfortable?

He raised his real hand to his eyes, lightly touching his cheekbone under them. 

Was it because _he_ couldn’t cry?

He pushed the thought away and began to think about what she had said.

She had called him a bad guy.

He wasn’t sure if he meant it as in “villain” or as in “terrible person”. 

He started to think about her calling him her mother. Of course Mumbo would have had her do that. That was just like him.

“But I’m not Mumbo.” Clockwork spoke out loud to nobody. 

Mumbo was scared to face his problems, but Clockwork wasn’t afraid. Dr. Clockwork was better than Mumbo ever could have been.

Sure, he was a villain, but what he was planning to do felt like the right thing.

“If anything, I’m doing Grian a favour. He’s so scared of becoming a bird. I’ll just make sure he doesn’t have to see the day when he transforms.” Clockwork laughed loudly.

He turned his gauntlet around, making sure it was finished. With a grin, he slipped it onto his left hand.

“Fits like a glove.” He smirked. He took the gauntlet off so he could continue his work. Clockwork took off his boots and set them on the workbench, starting his next modification.

  
  


Griandroid got the message about Clockwork’s increasingly awful behaviour. He knew that the roboticist wasn’t exactly the warmest towards him anymore, but Griandroid needed to figure out why the cyborg wanted to kill his human counterpart.

The Hermitbot entered the workshop in the late afternoon. He pushed open the door to see Clockwork working on some sort of large cable. He wasn’t wearing his jacket at the moment.

Griandroid stepped to the middle of the room, somewhere between Clockwork and the door. He spoke up.

“Hello Clockwork.” He spoke casually. The roboticist perked up and set down his tools before turning to face his robotic friend.

“Hello there Griandroid!” Clockwork smiled happily. He approached the robot and gave him a hug. Griandroid’s initial programming caused his reaction to be one of joy. His wings flapped happily and he hugged Clockwork tightly. Even when the engineer let go, Griandroid held on. 

He quickly remembered what Amelia’s message had said. One wrong move and Clockwork might snap.

He let go and looked up at Clockwork. “Sorry.” He chuckled.

“Why are you apologizing?” Clockwork asked kindly. “You were just hugging and being affectionate.”

Griandroid was confused at this answer. Hadn’t it been less than a week before where Mumbo had run off because Griandroid had hugged him and been affectionate?

“It’s alright.” Clockwork smiled sweetly, his expression soft and kind. “Here.” The cyborg bent down and gave Griandroid another hug.

Griandroid, again, was elated. Clockwork didn’t seem to hate him.

He forced his wings to stop flapping. No, this wasn’t right.

This wasn’t Mumbo. 

Clockwork made a gentle noise of disappointment when Griandroid’s wings stopped flapping. The roboticist let go of his robotic buddy and pet his wing.

“I like it when your wings go flappy-flap.” Clockwork laughed happily. Griandroid flapped his wings again, not sure if it was out of his own will or not.

Clockwork chuckled with delight. “Awwww.” He gushed. His eyes twinkled with joy and mischief.

“Guess what I made! Rocket boots! And a cool gauntlet!” His voice was completely devoid of the harsh tone Griandroid had heard from Clockwork that morning.

“Nice!” Griandroid couldn’t help but match Clockwork’s energy.

“And right now, I’m working on this Central Core thingy. You know, the like one that GLaDOS has?” Clockwork motioned over towards his work. 

“Why?” Griandroid asked, looking over the unfinished project.

“That’s unimportant for right now. All you need to know is that it’ll help me get rid of Grian.” Clockwork smiled as if he had spoken about flowers and not about murder.

“Actually, I wanted to ask you about that...Why do you hate Grian...but are nice to me?” 

Clockwork looked down at his friend. “Well, it’s actually quite simple. You’re better than Grian.” He only answered the bot’s second question. 

“I...I am?” Griandroid didn’t feel better than Grian.

“You are. In every way.” Clockwork gave him a grin and turned back to his work. “Would you like to help me?” He asked.

Griandroid wanted to say no. He wanted to refuse. He didn’t want to help this man get closer to his goal.

But if he said no, Clockwork might yell at him.

He weighed the options, deciding that Clockwork’s anger was better than helping him.

“No.” Griandroid said firmly, bracing himself for the roboticist’s wrath.

But Clockwork simply turned to look at Griandroid, almost pouting.

“Pleeeease?” He asked, taking Griandroid’s hands.

He hadn’t yelled.

“No, I’m alright.” Griandroid replied, slightly pulling his hands back.

“I’m incredibly lonely.” Clockwork held onto Griandroid’s hands. “I would love it you would stay. You don’t even have to do any work, I just want your company. I adore your company. I adore you, my best friend.” 

Griandroid couldn’t just refuse again and break this man’s cybernetic heart.

But he was also curious to see how Clockwork would react.

“Like I said, I’m okay.”

Clockwork looked even sadder. Griandroid was relieved that the cyborg couldn’t cry. “But _I’m_ not okay.” He said sadly, his eyes pleading for the robot to stay.

Griandroid sighed. “Alright. I’ll stay.” He gave in. Clockwork’s face lit up with immense joy.

He grinned and pulled Griandroid into a tight hug. “Thank you!” He let go and looked at the desk beside the workbench he was working on.

“You can sit here.” Clockwork patted the desk. Griandroid hopped up on it and swung his feet slightly as Clockwork beamed happily. 

  
  


Grumbot had been writing for hours. He had so much he needed to express. He wished he could talk to his father, either of them. He knew he could talk to Griandroid, but he needed Mumbo and Grian. Griandroid understood. 

Grum’s hands were still unsteady, but his heart rate had slowed down, as well as his breathing. He rubbed his thumb against his fingers softly, wondering if he could trick himself into believing he was human.

He wanted to be human.

But he knew it was his human-like mistakes that caused this trouble.

If he had insisted that his father go to bed at that moment and not allowed him to finish what he was working on, then his father wouldn’t have messed up. His father wouldn’t have blown up.

If that wasn’t bad enough, if he wasn’t so anxious, he wouldn’t have messed up the operation. His father wouldn’t be this….this monster.

He had been communicating with his siblings and Griandroid about Clockwork’s behaviour. Grum didn’t understand why this had to happen.

Grum felt a sudden bout of anger and he threw his pen at the door before sobbing. He got up from his desk and stumbled over to where the pen had landed. He picked it up and wiped his eyes.

Why did he even have anxiety? He wasn’t real. It made no sense for him to experience these human faults. Did his father program them into him?

If so, why? Was it to make him more human-like? Was it to give Mumbo someone to relate to down in the HQ? Or had Grum’s AI evolved to the point of developing human anxiety? 

Either way, Grum felt it was his fault his father was planning to kill Grian.

  
  


Circuit sat on the edge of a bed, staring at the wall. 

“Amy...I’m scared.” He admitted. She looked over at her twin.

“I am too, Kit.” She scooted closer to her brother. “But Grian will save us. He’s a hero, remember?”

“No-...Amelia, I’m scared for us-” Circuit looked at his sister. “What if his new personality isn’t because we messed up. What if this was natural?”

“Circuit.”

“We’re his clones! What if we turn out like that?” Circuit cried out.

“Circuit!” Amelia made sure he heard her.

Her twin looked at her again. 

“Circuit...we won’t turn out like that. We’re robots, remember? We’re not going to grow up.” Amelia tried to reassure him, but only ended up making herself sad.

“...Sometimes I forget we’re not real kids.” Circuit mumbled. Amelia nodded and put her arm around her brother. 

“Me too…” 

A week ago, Sahara and Zedbot barely knew each other. But now, it was he who she was finding comfort in while her siblings dealt with their own grief.

The little girl liked Zedbot. He was kind and funny. Even though he was a hermitbot, he was like Griandroid. That is to say, human-ish. He had an actual personality. 

To calm her down, Zed brushed her hair and told her about his favourite superhero, Worm Man.

Sahara could tell that Zedbot, or the real Zedaph at least, was probably Worm Man, but she played along. It made her feel better to hear someone tell a happy story.

“And then I met Alex. That’s Xisuma’s brother.” Zed told her. 

She caught his mistake. “I thought this was a stowy about Wowm Man.” She smiled slightly.

“Oh! Yes! I meant that’s when  _ Worm Man _ met Alex!” He chuckled and ruffled her soft, fluffy hair. 

“...Hey, Zeddy?” Sahara looked up at the blond man. 

He smiled at the nickname. “Yes, my sandy desert friend?”

“Do you eva feew fowgotten?” She asked.

The hermitbot was alarmed at the seriousness of the inquiry. He looked at her.

“Yup…” He sighed.

“Me too…” Sahara leaned against him. 

“Hey.” Zed tilted her chin up to look at him. “I will never forget you.”

Sahara smiled and wiped her eyes. She hugged him. “Fank you...Can you keep tewwing me that stowy?” 

Zed nodded. “Of course.” He hugged her back.

Jrumbot was scared. His father was scary. His other father was going to be a bird soon. He was trapped down in this HQ. Any wrong move and he could be reprimanded.

He longed for the days where he could go up to his father and ask for cuddles. He longed for the days where his fathers got along.

Jrumbot had never really taken time to be alone. He was always with someone, whether it be his siblings, his fathers, or anyone else.

But he sat in his father’s room, alone. He sat on the bed, thinking about his feelings. He felt so small in the middle of the bed. 

To be fair, he  _ was _ quite small. Sometimes, he wished he were bigger. He wanted to be able to help when things go wrong. But he was a small child.

Most of the time, he loved it. His family would smother him in kisses and love. But we didn’t want to stay little forever.

He started to become very sad as he imagined the real hermits, not the Hermitbots, getting older and moving on. He thought about his fathers doing the same. He knew that things would be different now that his papa was a cyborg, and he knew that his daddy would be a bird, but it didn’t stop him from imagining them in twenty years, both now in middle age, but Jrumbot still a baby. Still small.

He wanted to grow up. He wanted to fly like his daddy. He wanted to be a wizard, like his uncle. He wanted to be a Redstone engineer like his papa. He wanted to have adventures. He wanted to go to school. He wanted to be able to eat Nutella and Haribo.

He wanted to try so many things, but he was so limited by both his size and his mechanical body. He wanted to have a birthday, have a picnic, have a chance at real life. 

Jrumbot didn’t like to be alone. He didn’t like his sad thoughts.

Jrum knew Grum too longed to live, longed to be real.

Sometimes Jrum would catch a stray thought from Grum. He knew how sad his brother was. He knew that he was jealous of Jrum’s tininess. He knew that Grum kept things to himself, not wanting to burden others with his problems.

Jrum looked around the quiet room, the only sound being the slight whirring of his own mechanisms inside. 

Jrum missed his daddy. He wanted to hug him again, one last time, before he was a bird. He wanted to see him smile and laugh. He wanted his daddy to cradle him while in his big hero form. Sure, it made him feel even smaller, but it made him feel more protected. 

Jrum started to cry. But like his twin siblings, he couldn't produce tears, real or synthetic. Neither could his father, apparently. 

His papa had promised to make a human-like android body for Jrum, but he ended up getting distracted with other projects, namely building more and more robots.

Those robots were human-like, minus the personalities of the Hermitbots save it be Zed and Griandroid. They could cry. 

Jrum felt alone.

Jrum jumped off the bed and ran out of the room, heading straight for Grum’s room. He opened the door, still struggling to reach the doorknob, and walked inside.

Grum was sitting at his desk, scribbling in his journal. He looked over when his little brother entered, quickly wiping the tears from his face.

“Gwum?” Jrum stepped up to his brother.

“Yes, Jrum?” Grum closed his notebook and turned towards the baby bot. 

He raised his arms up and did grabby hands. Grum smiled slightly and picked up his little brother. 

“Can you gib me kisses wike Papa used to?” Jrum looked terribly depressed. Grum hugged his baby brother close to his chest almost instantly. He gave him a few kisses on his head.

“Gwum…” Jrum snuggled against his brother’s sweater, the sweater that had been given to him by their father.

“Yes, Jrum?” Grum said again.

“I wuv you.” Jrum gave his brother a kiss on the cheek. Grum smiled, blinking away tears. 

“I love you too, Jrum.” He hugged his brother tighter. 

“I bet, one day, we’ww get to be hooman.” Jrum said quietly. Grum smiled at the thought. “And we’ww get new names cuz we won’t be bots anymowe. I stiww wanna be Jwum, but maybe dat can be my nickname and my weaw name can be somefing ewse.” 

“You’re right…” Grum had never given much thought to his name if he were to be human.

“Wanna know somefing?” Jrum looked up at his brother.

“What is it?” Grum responded.

“Youw name is a combinafin of Papa’s name and Daddy’s name! But wif a ‘t’ cuz ‘bot’...weww...now dat Papa’s gotsa new name...I guess that isn’t twue anymowe…” Jrum explained.

Grum smiled. “That’s right…” He frowned internally at the last bit. It made him sad.

“Your name was originally Grumbot Jr.” Grum told the baby bot.

“No!” Jrum looked appalled. “You’we wying!” 

“I’m not! You’re Jrumbot, which is like Grumbot, but Jr.” Grum chuckled at the boy’s reaction.

“I’m tiny you?” Jrum looked up at his brother again with big eyes.

“No, you’re much cuter than I.” Grum ruffled Jrum’s hair. Jrum giggled, no longer feeling alone. Grum had the urge to reassure the baby. “Don’t worry, Jrum. Things will get better.”

“I bewieve you.” Jrum said truthfully. He looked at Grum’s red sweater. He lifted up the bottom of the sweater and stuck his head under it.

“Hey!” Grum laughed as Jrum wiggled his way up, popping his head out of the collar of the sweater. He turned around, not a difficult task for he was a tiny boy, and faced his brother. 

“I wanted to weaw Daddy’s sweatew too.” He giggled and snuggled against his big brother. Grum smiled and stood up, holding onto Jrum. He stepped over to his bed and kicked off his shoes before laying down, Jrum coddled on top of his chest, using the sweater like it was a blanket. The baby fiddled with the collar of Grum’s dress shirt and raised his little hands to Grum’s face, squishing his cheeks.

“You’we nice and wawm and soft, wike Daddy.” Jrum admired.“You wemind me a wot of him.”

Grum smiled happily. He was glad Jrum thought so. He gave his little brother a kiss on his head.

“Thank you.” Grum said softly. He began to fall asleep, finally distracted from the terrible calamity that had befallen his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was listening to Everywhere At The End of Time while writing this, and man that’s an experience o-o  
> I made an animatic today for FW that I couldn’t upload until I finished this chapter bc I didn’t want to spoil CW’s outfit and such haha  
> Also, like  
> I found the name Dr. Clockwork on a villain name generator and MAN i fell in love with it  
> Dadskall chat and I had such a hard time coming up with villain names, but when I found this one, it just fit so well  
> Which is why I made his whole character revolve around time and such  
> The decision for him to build a TARDIS came to me long after I decided upon the name Clockwork  
> and now I owe somebody $5 /j
> 
> Okay but  
> Oh gosh  
> It HURTS to write Clockwork  
> He’s just-  
> Not my boy :((
> 
> I love him though :)  
> AND NOW I CAN FINALLY   
> FINALLY SHOW PEOPLE THE ART I’VE BEEN DOING OF HIM THE PAST FEW MONTHS YEE HAW


	50. Time Flies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Blinding shining star  
> You won't see so far  
> Know what can't be shown  
> Feel what can't be known
> 
> You were an isle unto thyself  
> You had a heart you hadn't felt  
> Why would it hurt me  
> Or was it real
> 
> It was the night we had to part  
> We were afraid to miss the start  
> What did it matter  
> Why would it matter  
> And could we heal
> 
> I was a victim of magic  
> Apollo catching my breath as I bled on the ground  
> Somebody called me to follow  
> I followed thinking aloud without hearing the sound
> 
> Then all the planets fell to dust  
> Lonely departing after us  
> Gone not forgotten  
> Long but forgotten old lore
> 
> In every element of life  
> Love camouflaging under strife or other matters  
> Minds over matters let there be more
> 
> Maybe you'll exit tomorrow  
> The sorrow sweeping you off as your island replies  
> Sudden invincible flowing  
> A river clearer than all thou might view with thine eyes
> 
> Why did fire-erupted lands arrive  
> Why did murderous animals survive  
> Why did we deserve to be revived  
> Why was any and everything alive”

Grian woke up to the sound of birds chirping. It took him a second to realize that it had been him chirping in his sleep. He chuckled to himself and sat up, stretching out his wings. He checked his arms for new feathers. 

Strangely, none had grown. 

“Huh.” Grian said out loud as he stood up. 

The bird changed out of his sleep sweats and into a normal pair of trousers, finding that his feathers made the trousers a tight fit. He sighed and switched out the pair he had put on for a pair that he had already accidentally ripped on the knees. Still tight, but at least a bit more comfortable than the previous pair. 

“Maybe Iskall was right. A backless dress  _ would _ be better.” He joked to no one as he looped a belt through to keep the trousers up. 

He looked down at his shoes that sat next to the bed and grabbed a pair of mismatched socks before putting on the high tops. He whistled a familiar tune that was stuck in his head as he tied the laces. He stood and made his way towards the bathroom. 

Grian flicked on the light switch and gave himself a good look in the mirror. His chest was getting pretty feathery, and there were quite a few on his face, even a few in his hair. It didn’t bother him anymore. 

“Five stages of grief.” He noted. “I guess I’m at acceptance.” 

“You kind of did those stages out of order.” A voice tweeted.

Grian blinked and turned to look back through the doorway into his bedroom. Sitting on the windowsill of his open window was his parrot, Professor Beak. He was less of Grian’s pet and more of a wild bird who occasionally came to Grian for food. Grian hadn’t seen the bird much since he himself started turning into one. Or maybe, Grian had been too focused on himself to notice.

“Well, ‘ello to you too, Professor Beak.” Grian smiled and fixed his messy hair.

The parrot flew through the doorway and landed on Grian’s shoulder. 

“You’ve got something on your face.” The blue bird tweeted and bent towards Grian’s cheek, pulling at one of the biggest feathers on his face.

“Ow! Hey! That’s  _ part _ of my face!” Grian moved his head away.

“Whoops. Sorry.” Beak tittered. 

“No, you’re not.” Grian said jokingly as he fixed the feather his bird pulled on.

“Forgot you could understand me and my sarcasm now.” The parrot squawked and shook out his feathers. 

“Yeah, I never knew how much you hated seeds.” Grian tried not to smile.

“Hey! I never said that!” Professor Beak flapped his wings in protest.

“I’m kidding.” Grian laughed and took the bird off of his shoulder. The parrot, now perched on his hand, gave the almost-bird a very annoyed look. Grian grinned and kissed the bird on the head. 

“Don’t kiss me!” The parrot tried to fly away.

“Oh, c’mon, Professor Beak! I’m a bird! I can adopt you as my bird son!” Grian couldn’t stop himself from laughing. 

“I liked you better when you couldn’t understand me.” The parrot replied.

“You love me, kiddo.” Grian ruffled the bird’s feathers.

“Don’t call me kiddo! I’m not your son!” Professor Beak flew up and into the bedroom.

“Aw, why not? If Mumbo gets to build robot kids, why can’t I adopt bird kids?” Grian followed the parrot.

Professor Beak flew towards the open window. “If I say yes to being your quote-unquote bird son, can I go?” 

“Hm. Yes.” Grian grinned and grabbed the bird before he could fly out.

“HEY! YOU SAID I COULD GO!” Beak struggled in Grian’s hands.

“Let me kiss my son goodbye first.” Grian chuckled and gave the bird another kiss on the head. 

Professor Beak sighed and gave Grian a peck on the cheek, resulting in the hermit letting the parrot go.

“Bye-bye birdie!” Grian waved to his parrot before walking back into the bathroom to fix his hair again.

Once it looked messy but on purpose, Grian put on the goggles he had gotten from False. He wanted to look nice just in case Mumbo had fixed the lift yet. 

He looked at his reflection as he willed himself into his hero form. He was very thankful that his clothes changed sizes with him. If they hadn’t, it would have made for some very awkward moments. He crouched down a tad to look at his face better. 

He liked the rugged look of this form. He looked big and scary, but had become quite the opposite. He smiled as he thought about how he had been when he first started developing his powers. He had hated hugs, but now he loved them. He called that growth. 

“I look like a superhero.” He mumbled to himself, his smile wavering. His mind went to Poultry Man. He winced and shook the thought away.

He hated who he had become while parading around as that egotistical masked man. Grian’s mind was brought to Jrum, the reason why he had become a superhero in the first place. He knew he had let his son down, and hoped he would have time to make it up to him.

Grian sighed and shrunk down to his hummingbird size. He flew up to the mirror and smiled. He couldn’t help but laugh at himself when he was this small. 

He zipped out of the room, flicking off the light switch on his way out. He flitted through the open window and into the sky above his mansion. 

Today felt like a good day. He had a feeling that the lift was fixed. 

“I should head over there.” He told himself. The bird flew through the jungle tops, passing parrots on his way.

“Look how pretty his feathers are.” He heard a parrot tell another. Grian stopped flying and waved to the one who complimented him.

“Aw thanks!” 

The two parrots stared at him with wide eyes until he flew off. 

“That wasn’t a bird, Ava.” The second parrot noted.

“You think I don’t realize that now, Bell?” The first parrot squawked.

Grian grinned as he zipped through the sky. It was still overcast, but bright outside. He heard dogs bark as he flew by Joe, 12 leads in hand. Pulling the bespectacled Tennessean along were 12 dogs of varying shape and size. Joe seemed to have a handle on them though. 

Grian smiled, flying past them and towards the shopping district. He spotted Scar observing a patch of mycelium in the district. Grian zipped to him.

“Heya Nascar!” Grian chirped, his voice high. Scar looked up at the bird-sized hermit.

“Psh, hey Grian.” Scar chuckled at the name. 

“Whatcha doin’?” Grian asked, looked over at where Scar had been looking a moment before.

“Making plans to fix the terrain of the shopping district. Gotta get rid of the mycelium.” Scar answered.

“But look how pretty it is! It matches your suit and my wings!” Grian joked.

“Yeah, but it makes my allergies act up.” Scar said in a semi-serious tone. “What are you up to?” 

“I’m gonna check on the lift real quick.” Grian replied. “See if Mumbo’s fixed it yet.”

Scar smiled. “Well, I’ll let you go do that. I’m just waiting for Cub to show up.”

Grian gave his friend a thumbs up and flew towards the TVGrumbot, still powered down and broken. He fluttered up to the dark screen and gave it a kiss before landing in front of the console. He grew to his normal size, entered the passcode, and pressed the button.

Grian danced in place, humming a dumb song he had once sung. He waited for a minute and then paused.

No answer.

He pressed the button again.

Was the lift still broken? If it was, then that was okay. Grian was sure that Mumbo would fix it soon.

Grian waited for two more minutes.

Those two minutes quickly melted into four, and then six, until he had waited for almost ten whole minutes. 

He had stopped humming around minute mark two.

Worry started to fill his mind. 

Mumbo was okay, right? Grian was sure that Mumbo would have fixed the lift by now.

Grian’s heart hurt with disappointment and fear that he wouldn’t get to say goodbye. 

He felt his eyes sting with tears and his shoulders dropped sadly.

“Grian?” Scar’s voice spoke from behind him. Grian looked up and wiped his eyes quickly before turning around.

“H-hey Scar! Weren’t you waiting for Cub?” 

“I was, and then he showed up. He’s off doing his job now.” Scar answered. “Hey, is everything alright?”

Grian quickly nodded, sniffing. He hoped he could hide his teary eyes. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Lift’s still broken.” Grian chuckled, his nose stuffed.

Scar saw right through his facade. “Grian, it’s okay to be sad about it. You don’t have to hide it.”

Grian looked away. “I’ve been doing so well! I haven’t cried about this for at least a few days!” He tried to joke as he felt his heart rate quicken. 

“Grian-” Scar stepped towards his feathered friend. 

“I’m fine, Scar! You don’t gotta worry about me!” Grian said as he began to hyperventilate. Why was he so hung up on this? He thought he had accepted his fate. Why was he worried about it now?

“Grian, take a deep breath.” Scar spoke softly.

The bird didn’t obey. Everything began to hurt the more his heart raced. 

Scar watched in surprise as he saw a few feathers quickly appear on Grian’s arms. The more his friend hyperventilated, the more feathered grew.

“Grian! Open your eyes!” Scar took the bird by the shoulders.

The hermit did as he was told. He saw the new feathers on his arms and yelped in shock.

“I don’t understand! I thought I was okay with it!” The panic in Grian’s voice had not gone away.

“You need to calm down. Slow your breathing.” Scar instructed. Grian nodded and tried to do so. Scar remembered it might help to pet his wings, and so he did. Grian’s breathing slowed and he felt his heartbeat return to semi-normal.

“Thank you, Scar.” Grian stepped forwards, still looking down, and hugged his friend tightly. “I was doing so well…”

“G, sometimes we realize that we aren’t as okay as we think. It’s okay to be sad.”

“Well, not just that! I hadn’t grown any feathers since a couple of days ago!” Grian replied.

“I think I have a theory.” Scar told his friend. “You haven’t been anxious or felt a ton of negative emotions in the past couple days, right?” 

Grian nodded.

“And you haven’t grown any feathers in the past couple days, right?”

Grian nodded again.

“And just now, while you were hyperventilating, you grew more feathers.”

Grian nodded once more.

“So, I’m thinking that it’s connected to your emotions.” Scar concluded.

“R-really?” Grian looked at his fluffy arms.

“I can’t be completely sure, but I’m sure Aleighnya would have an answer. If you’re not doing anything, we could give her a visit.” Scar replied.

Grian looked up at the broken TVGrumbot, slowly looking down until his eyes met the button. With a sigh, he turned to look at Scar again.

“That would be great.” Grian nodded for a final time. “Don’t you have mayoral duties though?”

Scar smiled. “Cub can take care of it. I need a day off anyways.”

“When are we going?”

“Right now. Once you tie your shoe, of course.” Scar joked.

Grian looked down at his shoes, seeing one of them untied. The bird bent down to tie it, and he felt the fabric around his left knee rip, creating a bigger tear than the one on his right knee. He tied his shoe quickly.

“Great.” Grian stood up, the fabric now falling further down his leg. “You wouldn’t happen to have any magic trousers?”

“No, but I think Iskall has a backless dress you could borrow.” Scar chuckled. 

“Oh man, not this again.” Grian rolled his eyes jokingly. 

“Maybe you should wear, like, athletic shorts or something. Why do you insist on jeans?” Scar asked.

“Do you know how ridiculous I would look, shirtless, covered in feathers, and wearing nothing but a pair of shorts?” Grian answered.

“Well, it wouldn’t be any more ridiculous than you look now, shirtless, covered in feathers, and wearing nothing but a pair of gray jeans that are obviously too tight now because of said feathers, and are torn in various places?” Scar replied.

“...good point. Let’s stop by my mansion before we get going. I don’t want these trousers to rip anywhere else.” Grian felt better and wiped his eyes again. 

* * *

Grian opened the door of his mansion to let him and his friend inside. Scar entered, the bird following behind him. He shut the door.

“I’m gonna run up to my room.” Grian told Scar. 

“I’ll go with you.” Scar decided. 

“That works too.” Grian hopped up the stairs. Scar followed him to his bedroom. The window was still open, and Professor Beak was once again on the window sill. The parrot squawked when he saw Grian.

“Oh c’mon! I thought you had left for the day!” The parrot complained. Grian stepped to the bird.

“Is that any way to talk to your father?” Grian teased, giving his bird another kiss on the head.

Beak flapped his wings and pushed Grian away. “Stop!” 

Scar chuckled and stepped over to the window. “You adopted Professor Beak as your son?”

“NO! NO HE DIDN’T!” The parrot squawked in English so that Scar could understand him as well. 

“He’ll come around.” Grian shrugged and pulled out some seeds. Professor Beak quickly ate them up.

“Yes. Yes he did.” The parrot said in English.

“See?” Grian laughed and pet the parrot before stepping over to his dresser. He opened it and pulled out a pair of athletic shorts.

“At least I won’t look as ridiculous as you did when you were dressed as a wizard, but in a pair of heart boxers.” Grian stood up.

“Or Mumbo, when he wore literally only a pair of heart boxers.” Scar added.

Grian laughed loudly and went into the bathroom to change. A minute or so later, he exited the room.

Scar stared at his friend’s feathered legs. “I see now why you insisted on pants.”

“Maybe Aleighnya can make me some magic jeans.” Grian sighed. “And if that doesn’t work, I’ll ask Iskall about the dress.” 

Scar chuckled. “I’m glad you still have a sense of humour.”

“Oh, you and me both bud.” Grian smiled. He looked over at the window sill and pulled out another thing of seeds. “Hey kiddo, wanna come along?” 

Professor Beak looked up and flapped over to Grian’s shoulder. “Yes.” He chirped, pecking up the seeds from his owner’s palm. 

“Should we tell him that Aleighnya is a big cat?” Scar muttered to Grian. 

“It’s fine.” Grian chuckled as he closed the window. 

* * *

Grian and Scar entered the mayor’s magic village. Professor Beak kept quiet so long as Grian kept feeding him seeds. 

Grian saw a few people he recognized from last time. The elf woman and the human man came up to Scar as he walked into the little town.

“Hey Scar! Taako made some macarons for you as a thank you for not being mad at him.” The elf said with a gap-tooth smile. Her eyes were pink, her hair was blond and in a long braid, and her face was covered in freckles. The man next to her wore a plaid button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of blue jeans.

“Aw, thanks Lup! Tell him I say thanks!” Scar took the box of macarons and put them in his inventory.

“Is this your bird friend, Grian?” Lup asked. Scar nodded. 

“Grian, these are my friends Lup and Barry Bluejeans. Lup, Barry, this is my friend Grian and his parrot, Professor Beak.” Scar introduced them.

“Correction, this is my son.” Grian said in a dead-serious tone.

“Not the weirdest thing I’ve seen.” Barry laughed, and shook Grian’s hand. 

“We’ll let you two get going.” Lup smiled and took Barry’s hand. “It was nice to meet you, Grian!” 

“Nice to meet you guys too!” Grian waved.

“Thanks again!” Scar waved and led Grian to where the portal closet was located.

“Do you have more seeds?” Professor Beak asked.

“You don’t need any more.” Grian told the bird.

“I’m not your son anymore.” PB shot back.

“Fiiiiine.” Grian pulled out more seeds, but pulled his hand away before the parrot could get any. “I’m going to carry you.” Grian said.

“I’m already on your shoulder.” The parrot said impatiently. Grian smiled, set the seeds away, and picked the parrot up off of his shoulder. He set the bird down in the crook of his left arm, cradling him like a baby. He pulled out the seeds and held the parrot in a way that would allow him to eat. The bird ate the seeds quickly and laid back, realizing this was much more comfy than sitting on a shoulder. 

Grian cooed happily and scratched PB’s feathers as the parrot lay on his back. Scar looked back at his friend. 

“You miss your kids a lot, don’t you?” Scar stopped walking once they got to the door the portal would be behind. Grian looked up at Scar.

“Yeah…” Grian looked back down at Professor Beak, who seemed content now.

“You want a hug?” Scar asked.

Grian nodded, his eyes filling with tears again. He stepped into Scar’s open arms and wrapped his wings around the mayor, still holding his parrot in his arms. Scar hugged Grian tightly.

“You’ll get to see them again.” Scar said in a reassuring way.

“Thanks.” Grian laughed sadly and let go of the hug. He used his finger to pet PB. The parrot purred softly. 

Grian looked up. “Do-...Do birds purr?” He asked Scar as his friend pulled out the enchantment book to activate the portal on the other side of the door.

“I think so. I recall reading something like that once...You’re the one turning into a bird, you should really read up on them.” Scar put the book away once the glowing light appeared. He opened the door and stepped through the portal, Grian followed quickly behind. 

“I really should.” Grian agreed. 

He took Scar’s hand so he wouldn’t lose his friend in the crowd.

There were so many different types of people. He saw someone who was apparently an anthropomorphic bird man wearing an adventurer’s getup. Grian found comfort in that. Scar dodged a pair of kids, who couldn’t be more different. The girl was short and colorful with bright orange hair while the boy was tall and grayscale with void black hair. They had backpacks on and were rushing towards a portal, where more kids were headed. 

“Summer school.” Scar told Grian as he pulled the bird to the correct door. Grian looked at the kids. They reminded him of his friends when he was a kid. 

Scar opened the purple door and brought Grian through. The cottage was warm and welcoming. 

“Aleighnya!” Scar called out.

The wooden door that led to the rest of the home opened up and the tabaxi-tiefling stepped out. Her face lit up when she saw them.

“Nascarlos! Dreamslayer! ‘Ello!” She hurried to them and gave them both a big hug. Professor Beak woke up and squawked as he got smothered between feathers and fur.

Aleighnya stepped back and looked at the parrot. “Oi, I’m mighty sorry, dearie!” She apologized to the bird, who looked shaken at the sight of a giant cat. “I didn’t know you had a baby.” Aleighnya joked and pet PB, winning him over with some seeds from her inventory.

“He’s adopted.” Grian laughed. 

“Yeah! Just this  _ morning _ .” Professor Beak chirped out after gobbling down the seeds. “More please.” He looked up at Aleighnya.

“Sorry, birdie, I don’t have anymore at the moment.” The cat answered.

“...You can understand me?” The parrot looked at the cat, then at Scar and Grian.

“I know birdspeak.” Aleighnya nodded.

“I don’t.” Scar shrugged. “Though I should probably learn it.” 

“Fools, I  _ am _ a bird.” Grian chuckled and walked towards the wooden door. 

“He’s got us beat.” Scar sighed jokingly. 

Aleighnya hurried over to the door and opened it. “What brings you two to my humble abode?” 

“We’ve got some questions about my birdiness.” Grian answered. 

“Let me get ya some lunch, and then we can talk.” The tabaxi led them to the table. “I’ll fix ya something real quick.” She motioned for them to sit, which Grian did. She went into the kitchen, but Scar followed her, telling Grian that he’ll be back in a moment.

Grian looked down at Professor Beak, who had gone back to sleeping in Grian’s arms. He sighed.

“Sorry for insisting you’re my kid.” He told the bird. 

PB opened his eyes. “It’s fine.” 

“No, you obviously don’t want to be.”

“Well, you obviously are a sob story of a dad who misses his kids.” The parrot replied.

“I can’t argue with that.” Grian nodded. 

“I can’t blame you for needing someone to baby.” PB sat up. “I’m a dad too, y’know.”

“You are?” Grian couldn’t tell if the parrot was serious or not.

“Yeah, I mean, what did you think I was doing with all that time I spent not at your mansion.” The parrot preened himself under his wing.

“Really?” Grian still couldn’t tell.

“Yes. Really.” PB looked up at him. “I’ve got a girl and a nest.” 

“Aww that’s actually really sweet.” Grian smiled.

“Her name’s Carmen. She’s one of those pretty red parrots. We’ve got 3 chicks.” PB looked proud.

“What are their names?” Grian asked.

“William and Bonnie are our two purple ones. The white feathered one’s name is The Supreme Lord of Omegadeath.” Professor Beak said, completely serious. 

“I-..”

“We call her Slo, for short.” The parrot added.

“I see.” Grian nodded.

“So I can relate to your love of your kids.” Beak looked up at Grian. 

Grian looked down at the bird and nodded again. 

He pulled out another little thing of seeds and let the parrot eat. “Sorry again.” 

PB pecked the seeds up. “It’s okay... _ Dad _ .” He said the last bit with some hesitance. 

“Does this make me a grandfather now?” Grian said with a smile.

“Technically, I guess.” PB finished up the seeds and cuddled up in Grian’s arm, preening the feathers on the thunderbird’s chest. 

Scar came back in the room, carrying two bowls of soup. Aleighnya followed behind him, holding a small bowl of bird food in one hand and a bowl of soup in the other. She sat down at one end of the small table, Scar on the other. Grian was seated on one of the long sides, his seat in between Scar and Aleighnya.

Scar set one of the bowls down in front of Grian before sitting down with his own. Aleighnya set the bowl of bird seeds next to Grian’s soup.

Grian nudged PB and picked him up gently. He set the birdie down in front of the bird food. He began eating away happily. 

“Thank you.” Grian gave Aleighnya a smile. 

“Of course, Dream!” The cat smiled. Grian looked at the bird food and picked up a piece of it, inspecting it before popping it in his mouth.

“I-...huh.” Scar watched his friend.

“That’s pretty good.” Grian decided. “I’d rather have the soup though.” He chuckled before putting a spoonful of soup into his mouth. 

“Hey, before I forget, do you have magic trousers I could use?” Grian asked.

Scar had to try not to spit out his soup as he laughed. “You were serious?”

“Well, yeah!” Grian looked over at Scar.

Aleighnya smiled. “I don’t think you need magic trousers. I just think ya need a bigger pair.” 

Grian looked down at his soup. “Man, aren’t I a dummy? That’s a smart idea.” He looked back at Aleighnya. “Do you have bigger trousers I could use then?”

“Let me check my costume boxes. Follow me.” The tabaxi stood up and went into the original room. Grian followed her quickly, letting his new son eat. Scar stayed seated and continued eating.

Aleighnya pulled out a chest and opened it. She took out a stack of neatly folded pants of various materials. She handed the stack to Grian.

“Go ahead and try these on and see if any of them fit comfortably.”

“Thanks!” Grian smiled. 

“I’ll pop out the room to give ya some privacy.” Aleighnya went back through the wooden door, leaving Grian alone. 

He tried on the pairs of pants, each weirder than the last. Out of the seven pairs, only one really fit. It was a pair of ninja-like pants. He folded up the other pairs and set them back in the costume chest. He put his shorts into his inventory.

Grian went back into the dining room. PB was chatting it up with Aleighnya, much to the confusion of Scar who couldn’t understand what they were saying. 

“I found a pair.” Grian stood in front of the table. Aleighnya smiled. 

“They look nice on you!” The tabaxi noted, and Scar nodded.

“Do I owe you anything?” Grian asked. 

“Oh, no no. They’re yours.” Aleighnya grinned. “Now, come eat your soup. It’s getting cold.” 

* * *

After the four of them finished up their lunch and took their empty dishes to the sink, they sat down at the table to talk.

“So, what’s the matter with your ‘birdiness?’” Aleighnya asked. 

“Okay so, Scar thinks it’s connected to my emotions because when I wasn’t anxious the last couple of days, I didn’t really grow any feathers. Earlier this morning, I had a sort of panic attack, and  _ boom _ . More feathers.” Grian explained.

“Hm.” Aleighnya stood up and studied Grian’s wings. 

Grian continued. “And, according to Mumbo, I’ve actually turned into a bird for a moment before, when he jumped off of his base to try and snap me out of a trance or something. I don’t remember most of that night, and I surely don’t remember being a bird…”

“You needing to save him was probably really emotional, and it possibly is what triggered the instant transformation. You obviously ended up changing back, but you’re slowly becomin’ one fully.” Aleighnya theorized. 

“So, basically, I can’t stop myself from becoming one, but anxiety and negative emotions just makes the process go faster?” Grian tried to summarize for himself.

“Seems like it.” The tabaxi nodded. 

“Well alrighty then.” Grian looked down at Professor Beak, who was asleep on his arm again.

“You don’t have that long left, by the looks of it.” Scar noted.

Grian nodded silently. 

“I’m fine with being a bird, I keep telling myself. And, for the most part, it’s true. But when I think about the people I’m leaving behind, it hurts. I just want to be able to say goodbye to my kids, and deliver on the promise I made to them. I don’t want their last impression of me to be a bad one…” Grian put his head down on the table and the tabaxi began rubbing his shoulders.

“How about we do something to get your mind off of it?” Aleighnya suggested. Grian gave a thumbs-up, his head still down. 

Aleighnya stepped over to a stack of spell books near the table and grabbed one of them. She sat down next to Grian and set the book in front of him. 

Grian looked up and scooted his chair in. “What’s this?”

“It’s a student spell book. I have an excess of them since I was asked to be a teacher at the Realms school this coming year.” She explained. 

“Ooo, do I get to watch Grian try to do magic?” Scar joked.

“As a matter of fact, yes. We’ll do an easy spell, a simple cantrip.” The tabaxi flipped to a page near the front. At the top of the page was a header in big letters that read “Prestidigitation” with a subtitle informing the reader that it was a transmutation cantrip.

“Now, prestidigitation is a simple spell that is typically used for practice.” Aleighnya had assumed the role of teacher. “There’s a number of effects that the caster can create with this spell. They’re listed here.” She pointed to a list on the page. “Go ahead and pick one ya want to try.” 

Grian read the list to himself. The possible effects were all minimal and only lasted for up to an hour. 

“I like the last one.” Grian decided. “‘You create a nonmagical trinket or an illusory image that can fit in your hand and lasts for up to an hour.’” He read out loud.

“Good choice! Scar, why don’t you demonstrate?” Aleighnya motioned to the empty space behind where they sat.

“Oh, why me? You know I’m not good at transmutation.” Scar stood reluctantly and went to where Aleighnya wanted him.

“It’s a simple cantrip. I’ve seen you do it before.” The tabaxi replied.

Scar sighed. “Fine. What should I make?” 

“A locket?” Aleighnya suggested. Scar nodded. He closed his eyes and held out his hand. He mumbled something and a small flash of light appeared just over his palm. He flicked his wrist around. As he did so, a necklace chain with a heart shaped locker came into existence in the light. It landed in his hand. 

“Ta da!” He did jazz hands and handed the locket to Grian. When the bird opened it, he found a small picture of Jellie inside.

“Cool!” Grian felt his mood improving. 

“Was that so bad, Scar?” Aleighnya laughed and ruffled her friend’s neat hair. He laughed too.

“So, what do I do?” Grian asked, handing the locket back to Scar and setting his bird son on his shoulder. 

“Firstly, stand.” Aleighnya stood, and Grian did also. Scar sat back down in his seat.

“Now hold on your hand like this.” She took Grian’s hand and positioned it. 

“Okay.” Grian nodded.

“Let’s make a locket, like Scar did.” Aleighnya suggested. “Envision the locket in your mind. Focus on the idea of it. Now repeat after me. Linguini Tortellini .”

Grian looked at her. 

“Yes, I know those are pasta dishes. They work the same as the typical magic words for this spell since it’s not about  _ what _ you say. The textbook will tell you that ‘The words themselves aren’t the source of the spell’s power; rather, the particular combination of sounds, with specific pitch and resonance, sets the threads of magic in motion.’” Aleighnya clarified. 

“Oh, so as long as the words hit the same, it doesn’t matter what they are?” Grian asked. 

Aleighnya nodded. “I find using pasta dishes as the words to be much more fun and easier to remember.” She grinned. “Now say the words while focusing on the trinket in your mind.”

Grian closed his eyes again and held his hand out. “Okay...Linguini Tortellini.” 

He opened his eyes a bit to see if anything happened, but nothing had.

“You won’t get it on your first try.” Scar said as he saw the disappointment on the hermit’s face.

“I assumed so.” Grian chuckled. 

“It takes practice! You’ll get it soon!” Aleighnya gave him encouragement. Grian nodded.

* * *

Grian spent the next hour practicing what Aleighnya told him. Each time he attempted the spell, nothing happened. He had gone into Aleighnya’s store room a half-hour earlier to practice on his own. He was about to give up, but decided to try one last time. 

He held his hand out and focused on creating a locket. He spoke the magical pasta names. He peeked, expecting nothing like the last hundred times, but he was caught off guard as a small light hung just over his palm. His concentration broke as he opened his eyes in excitement. He ran out of the room and to the table where Scar and Aleighnya were sitting with PB.

“I DID SOMETHING!” Grian chirped and stood in front of the table. He closed his eyes, concentrated, and spoke the magic words. He opened his eyes to see the light right before it disappeared.

Aleighnya was grinning. “Look at you! Great job!”

“What’s the next part?” Grian asked.

“Okay. Once you speak the words, you need to flick your wrist around, like this.” The tabaxi demonstrated, making a motion that a stage magician might do to make a card appear in his hand. 

“Okay.” Grian nodded. “Like this?” He did what she had shown him to make sure he knew what to do. She nodded. 

“Exactly. Now try it with the rest of the spell.”

Grian closed his eyes again and focused. He spoke the words and flicked his wrist around. A moment later, he felt something small and metal in the palm of his hand. He opened up his eyes and held out the object with excitement. 

“I did it!” His eyes lit up. Aleighnya and Scar clapped.

“I told you you could do it!” The tabaxi looked proud.

“You got it faster than I did when I was first learning that spell.” Scar laughed. 

Grian grinned and looked at the locket he had just created. He opened it up and blinked at the picture inside. It was a tiny version of the framed photo of him and Taurtis that was in his bedroom. He was silent for a moment as he stared at the picture. He nodded and closed the locket.

“I did it.” He smiled and looked back up.

“Here.” Aleighnya handed him the spell book that was on the table. 

“Huh?” Grian held the book.

“Take it! You can practice cantrips to get your mind off of things.” She smiled. 

“Oh! Thank you!” Grian put the book in his inventory and hopped over to Aleighnya. He gave her a hug, which she gladly returned. 

“Anytime, Mr. Dreamslayer.” 

* * *

Grian sat in his room that night. He was flipping through the pages of the spellbook and reading about different spells and the like. It was interesting to him, and reminded him a bit of the books that Taurtis and him would look at on their adventures. He wondered if that was why that picture was the one in the locket. He remembered the feeling of the locket disappearing from his hand once the hour was up. Just like the locket, Taurtis had been there one moment, gone the next. Unlike the locket, Grian couldn’t just cast a spell to bring his friend back for one hour more.

Professor Beak sat on his shoulder, giving commentary on the spells. 

As Grian flipped by the Fly spell, the parrot noted, “You don’t need that one. Or Lightning Arrow. You’ve got that already.” 

Grian chuckled. “True.” He yawned and closed the book. He set it beside his bed and turned off his lamp.

“Hey, what are you doing?” PB flew up off of Grian’s shoulder.

“...Sleeping?” Grian laid down and looked up at the bird above him.

“Could you open the window so I can leave first?” PB flapped by the closed window.

“You don’t wanna stay here?” Grian said with more sadness in his voice than he intended.

Professor Beak looked out the window, then back at Grian. The guy was lonely and liked having company. It wouldn’t kill PB to stay.

“...alright.” Beak flew back over to the bed. “Where am I gonna sleep though?” 

Grian sat up as an idea came to him. He got out of bed and took the blankets and sheets off of the mattress. He took them to the open area of the room and began to arrange them into a nest shape. He grabbed a few extra blankets out of his closet to finish it up, and set the pillows from his bed in the makeshift blanket nest.

“Here!” He motioned to it proudly before stepping in it and huddling in it like a bird. He raised one of his wings. “You comin’?” Grian asked.

PB flew to the nest in the middle of the floor. He took his place next to Grian and under the thunderbird’s raised wing. Once PB was settled in, Grian lowered his wing back down and made sure the parrot was comfortable.

The hermit had to admit that the nest was comfier than a normal bed. His wings didn’t feel in the way. 

“Goodnight, Professor Beak.” Grian bent his head down and kissed the parrot on the head.

“Night, uh, Dad.” 

“I love you very much.” Grian said as he felt himself grow sleepy.

“You know what? I love you too.” Professor Beak sounded genuine and happy, just the way Grian felt. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, i took a break on writing haha  
> The chapter itself was going to be much longer when I started it yesterday, but I decided to make this chapter just the Grian part :)  
> Okay, but I adore Professor Beak  
> Ty dadskall chat for helping me come up with names for his parrot wife and kids  
> Also for the bit about Linguini Tortellini haha  
> I just straight-up used D&D 5e spell stuff for this (i know the Prestidigitation actually only lasts until the end of the caster’s next turn, but that’s D&D rules, and this world plays by my rules)
> 
> Also little cameo of Lup and Barry because I love them very much
> 
> Hm...didn’t that part where Grian pressed the button seem familiar? :)
> 
> This chapter was so nice to write after those CW chapters. Very refreshing
> 
> Also, man, writing fanfics is very educational  
> I know so much now about birds, children, D&D spells, time travel, and more
> 
> Dang, 50 chapters o-o  
> 50 chapters in 6 months (it’s almost the 6 month anniversary of FW chapter 1 :D)  
> I kept drawing FW spoiler art instead of writing the chapters that would allow me to actually show the art to people smh

**Author's Note:**

> This was actually the first HCAU I had created, but I never really did anything with it. I’m p sure I thought of it after watching the ATUS Karma animatic. Btw, the timeline is gonna be kinda wack for the stuff that happens in S7, so bear with me!


End file.
